Tourist Trap | Short Film of the Day

Spotlight May 17, 2020

Tourist Trap

By Nik Long with 6.8

thriller · Short Films · english

Though complex at first glance, the narrative of the short film is direct and simple, but with an impactful message. It opens on a fairly harmless note which successfully beguiles the thrill and suspense it is eventually headed towards. A young woman clicks pictures by herself in Central Park. Running away from a life of relationships gone awry, and fearful in her body language and approach to her surroundings, she perhaps seeks an escape within the frames of her camera.

However, soon a disturbing pattern emerges in her pictures, forcing her to truly confront the consequent events, yet all the while trying to hide behind objects and a transitory sense of shelter and safety. The narrative attempts a layered exploration of the protagonist in this manner, bringing in an engagement with the ideas of the self and identity.

When she is finally faced with the truth, would she find it in her to accept the inevitable outcome? The film invokes all of these concerns and manages to provide their answers as well, while maintaining its crispness and brevity throughout.
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