The film does a remarkable job of tying something as dark and disturbing as substance abuse and its many devastating consequences with the innocence of childhood and its fantasies. The story opens with the mingling of two very contrasting images in the same vein. 

Our young protagonist Samir plays with his toys, his voice overlapping with the sobbing of a woman, and the visuals of broken glass. His immediate reality is defined by alcoholism and substance abuse of his parents, and the consequent neglect that it leads to. 

The child is quick to take comfort in fantasies that the adult viewer knows will probably never come true. The film’s biggest triumph lies in how skillfully it portrays this contrast and paints a heartbreaking world by simply using a child’s perspective as its primary storytelling tool. The screenplay is constructed with equal care to ensure no beat or moment is left under-utilized, driving its message home with impact and clarity.

Night Games | Spotlight

A misty, winter wasteland is the viewer’s first introduction to the film’s world. The image that it invokes is of a liminal space defined by its eeriness. It's further coupled with an intrinsic beauty that lends it a strangely atmospheric quality. Amidst it all is located an unnamed protagonist who is lost, and plagued by strange lights in the sky. As he attempts to find his way, the path only gets more and more mysterious and circuitous. 

The screenplay is beautiful in the construction of this space, alongside its two primary performances - our hapless, confused protagonist, and a woman’s presence in the center of a non-descript realm consumed by darkness all around her. Further, the title of the film is thoughtfully chosen - does it refer to a phone call? Does it refer to the strange space the protagonist is unable to make sense of? It serves to deliberately nestle these questions within the narrative. 

The establishment of the world is achieved with such impact that the short in its current form should serve as a premise for a longer film. It has all the right elements to capture the viewer’s attention. Taking us deeper into its world would help to expand on the narratorial construction which already presents deep potential, skill, and ease in everything that it wants to convey.

Holding Pattern | Spotlight

The film establishes a moment where a conversation between two detectives takes a very unexpected turn. Through its meandering path, the exchange brings up emotions of a disconcerting past, while also examining the ideas about the flow of time. The relationship between the past and the present is explored while one character presents his partner with shattering revelations. 
A sense of vulnerability is invoked within the screenplay through the progression of events that is both sincere and convincing. While at first glance the film might have presented a sense of thrill, crime and preternatural abilities, it also presents human relationships, isolation and the heartache of being unwanted with equal vigour. Additionally, the performances and music enhance the impact of all the film intends to convey. 

If the story is developed further, allowing audiences to delve deeper into the realm conjured so far, to get to know the characters and their back stories better, it would be a convincing and engaging world.

Retrovision | Spotlight

While Frankie, a local farmer, tries to stand her ground in the face of corporate exploitation, her friend Bronson endeavors to broker a deal between the two parties. They are both union members but with vastly differing approaches to the issue at hand. Frankie is vehemently suspicious of the owners and the deal they are trying to negotiate with the farmers. Bronson, on the other hand, has decided to pave a middle path of sorts. 

As the story progresses, the divided loyalties and ambiguous moral territories are pronounced within the plot. At the heart of the narrative is a battle about right and wrong between the oppressed and the oppressor. However, in addition to that Bronson fights another moral battle, one of convincing Frankie to take the offer at the bidding of their corporate bosses. The narrative further examines what this could potentially mean for his relationship not only with Frankie but also with himself. 

The film portrays all of this with controlled visuals and storytelling styles. The end result, consequently, comes to be defined by its characters’ conundrums and conflicts, alongside the manner adopted to present it all to the audience.

Tax Day | Spotlight

There is a uniqueness of voice with which the film combines horror with philosophy to present ideas and thematic concerns pertaining to the inevitability of fate. It operates within metaphors and symbolism to conjure a sense of entrapment. 
The protagonist is in mortal peril as a supernatural creature makes its way towards the same spot where he is consumed by digging for an unnamed, unexplained object. Alongside his desperate digging is the dismal realization that there is no way out for him, especially in the face of the all-too-powerful forces that dictate his fate. The film is inspired by a sequence in a horror short story ('Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad' by MR James), and presents its own rendition of the said situation. 
The performance, editing, and special effects all exhibit skill and competent storytelling. Even if some of the symbolism might seem a little obscure at first glance for the unprepared viewer, the impact of the film will surely linger on after they are done watching the film.

The Way of All Flesh | Spotlight

The film is a brief capsule marked by its explosion of colors, emotions, and visual experiments. A young filmmaker, John is shooting a scene with Alicia and Connor, and all seems to be going well. However, when he steps out of the room for a break, he overhears a conversation between his two actors as they mock and ridicule him while pretending to be supportive and friendly. 
Through the scene unfolding before us, placed parallel to the one unfolding in John’s mind, a story of past loss, heartbreak, as well as self-doubt and betrayal is conjured for audiences. The title of the film is further echoed in the developing events as those around John maintain a charade of friendship in a bid to exploit his skills for their own pursuits. 

The film presents a crucial moment in its brevity, and some more. Additionally, it experiments with its edit and visual progression to take the viewer deeper into its protagonist's internal struggles, in the process, establishing a strong premise that could efficiently serve as the starting point of a longer project in the future.

Deceive to Achieve | Spotlight

The film keeps itself confined to the space of a car, and yet, an entire array of emotions is presented to the viewer within it. Brody and Sara are part of a study about carpooling, and with the camera fixed in the center of the vehicle, we become privy to their mornings every day for over two weeks. 
Marked by brevity, sweetness, and general intimacy, the subsequent story is a glimpse into relationships and social equations. There is something to be said about how human experience can unfold within a shared space, and the same exploration is attempted in the film’s universe while maintaining lightheartedness. 
 
Additionally, ‘Trial’ holds on to consistency in approach, not weighing itself down with unnecessary earnestness. The characters are endearing, and the leanness of resources is employed with efficiency while keeping the audience absorbed in the brief encounters of its characters.

Trial | Spotlight

The film begins with the protagonist, Elise arriving at a house party. With her attention more focused on something that unfolds in the darkness of the night, however, away from the general frolic around her, Elise is no more than an outsider here. She is a little out of place both inside this house, as well as outside - be it at a gas station or a convenience store. As the night progresses, a strange presence is soon felt, and the protagonist eventually engages with it with more ease than we have seen her exhibit up until this point. 

Could Elise have found something, or someone, where she perhaps feels easier to follow their lead? The question becomes one of the many that the film raises, choosing to conceal more than it reveals as a notable storytelling device. The visuals, editing, and approach to the overall treatment invoke a disorienting realm of sci-fi and extraterrestrial otherworldliness. It presents a moment, a brief encounter with the protagonist, and the extremely uncanny events unfolding around her, establishing a premise for hopefully a longer project in the future, one that takes the viewer deeper into the film's world.

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