The short film is a uniquely hilarious glimpse into a brief encounter of two assassins with one of their victims. The setting is of a dim-lit luxurious room where a man is about to meet his end. However, instead of the usual violence and grimness that could be expected from such a setting, the viewer is surprised with humour invoked at the expense of the unsuspecting man who will soon be killed, but with utmost politeness and courtesy. The film exhibits efficient use of limited space as almost the entirety of the plot unfolds in a single corner of the same room. It further goes ahead to prove how a good story, when coupled with strong performances, indeed makes for an unforgettable product.

Client Oriented Assassins | Short Film of the Day

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

The short film allows itself little space to truly stretch its limbs, yet manages to overcome every self-imposed limitation and challenge successfully. A single-shot film with a fixed frame, it is simply a conversation between a mobster and his seemingly new recruit. The physical space is utilised to the last detail as is the chemistry between the two characters. The way their energies are conjured to complement each other is truly notable - an indifferent rookie, unaware of the consequences of his actions paired with a high-strung, experienced gangster who is completely aware of how truly things can go wrong for them. As the two weigh out their options, and the mess gets messier, the film does a distinguished job of keeping the viewer involved. The simple storytelling style further enhances the experience, allowing the narrative balance and skill without any overt, explicit plot or technical devices. While the subject it deals with can potentially be violent and gory, it manages to undercut it with its humour and comedic timing. The energy levels continue to rise, even the indifference of the younger thug evaporating to give way to a slowly-descending panic, reach the crescendo, finally followed by a conclusion the viewer definitely did not see coming.

Dead Ringer | Short Film of the Day

The night is far from young when a woman, complete with fishnets and asymmetrical jewelry, makes her way into a record store. The decade is the 90s, the hour late, and the store quiet, save for the absolute chaos that is about to go down in the wake of what could have been a mundane exchange. 

We meet only three characters, Dean, and a girl and a boy in this store. Brimming with nostalgic relics of an age gone by, deliberately conjured with strong control to locate the viewer within the same temporal space as the characters, the narrative handles the many complexities adroitly. 

It is precisely this control which ensures that the plot remains marked by crispness, not wasting its breath on hackneyed sentimentalism, and ensuring all of its punches land. Amidst it all, however, a series of very violent events, albeit regularly punctuated by humor, await the characters. Tying it all together with the right sprinkle of punk and angst that defined the age, the short film presents to you its own little world.

Traders | Short Film of the Day

The film opens on a note that is fraught with tension - a man is sitting by himself at a restaurant, impatiently waiting for someone. The first impression is of darkness and shadows, a palette of deep colors that is intended to conceal the secrets that simmer underneath the surface. The entry of the second character deliberately makes the viewer locate the film as a crime fiction - one marked by a violent undertaking that has just seen its completion. After the premise has been set, the unexpected appearance of humour subverts the intensity located within the narrative so far, and allows it to now take another form the viewer did not see coming or prepare themselves for. What begins as a parody of crime fiction soon develops a whole new characteristic it had been preparing itself for all along. This, in turn, enables the film to not only succeed, owing to convincing performances, effortless chemistry of its two actors and crisp writing, but to also offer an interesting treatment and understanding of the word 'crazy', giving it a lighthearted (but well-meaning) and unpredictable twist.

Crazy | Short Film of the Day

The film locates itself in a shadowy warehouse where a clandestine drug deal is underway. However, out of the darkness, an unnamed, unknown assailant makes himself known, and a bloody battle ensues. 

The narrative endeavors to employ action, alongside, an internal emotional battle of the protagonist, to introduce the viewer to its world. A story of loss, tragedy, heartbreak, and vengeance comes into being. Additionally, it presents the short film as the first part of more installments within the universe. 

Though the lighting sometimes exhibits a few rough edges, all the fight scenes and action, which form the main core of the film, are approached with dedication and effort. They are further supported by an energetic background score. The narrative, and subsequently, the screenplay present themselves together like a multilayered product where it is at each step that a layer comes off, taking the viewer deeper into the film’s world.

The Nightjar: Reckoning | Spotlight

A disoriented sex-worker arrives at the doorstep of a potentially dangerous client. As the details become more and more lucid in her head, and memory is entwined with remembrance, a fragmented reality of sorts begins to come into existence. However, the viewer is never left in silence for the voice of the protagonist remains our constant companion. Unsure of her surroundings, she remains an unreliable source of information throughout, but also the only one available to the viewer. 

The narrative is weaved with an approach that keeps the audience guessing about whether or not to believe the sole voice. At the same time, however, the development of the visual narrative leaves no two ways about the chain of events. The plot acquires a fairly well-defined form when the two overlap, eventually leaving us with a story about friendships, protectiveness and looking out for one another in a space located at the margins of society. 

There is almost a heady quality to the manner in which all of these thematic concerns, and their linked metaphors, are dealt with in this story which traces its steps back to an act of violence, while, at the same time, positioning itself as the origin story of a vigilante.

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