Short Film Spotlight: DRINK

Welcome back to another installment of SHORT FILM SPOTLIGHT.  This week, we take a look at this intriguing psychological thriller...DRINK.

Drink is a sci-fi cautionary tale that follows Alice and her two sons, Clint and Billy, as they flee their home in the middle of the night.  They arrive at an old desert motel, and it doesn't take long before Alice realizes shape has a strange connection to this place.  A tragedy of the past begins to reveal secret desires that could send Alice down a path of freedom or insanity.

Check out the film below:

Be careful what you wish for.

That is this cautionary message of this 23-minute short film.  A great blend of a horror film, a family drama, and a dark fairy tale, Drink keeps the audience intrigued and engaged, while successfully capturing the essence of shows like The Twilight Zone and Night Gallery.

The film starts off with a woman (Alice) driving at night with her two boys in the backseat.  She begins to drift off at the wheel, almost getting into an accident.  Then the title, DRINK, pops up on screen.  At this point I wondered if the film would utilize a drunk driving element due to the woman's reaction while driving, followed by the title.  But I was wrong.

The director, Emily Moss Wilson, hits one out of the park in her very first directorial effort, bringing to life a unique story with depth and emotion, while also keeping you wondering what's really going on.  I loved the choice of different color palettes for the present day scenes and past flashes.  It allowed the audience to differentiate between to easily, so as not to get confused.

Throughout the film, we discover a lot about the characters, especially Alice.  She's anxious and fearful, and, as revealed toward the end, wants a break from motherhood.  Austin Highsmith (Gangster Squad) played the role of the beaten and battered wife who just want to escape, perfectly.  And Noah Swindle (who played Clint) played the douchey, abusive older brother so well, I truly hated him from the beginning.

The idea of getting your deepest, darkest desire without truly realizing the consequences is a very interesting concept for a film and I think it was done extremely well.  This is a weird and wild film, powerful and poignant.  I loved the subtleties throughout, giving the viewer context without a bunch of exposition.  It was so layered and sent a great message, as stated earlier, of "be careful what you wish for", because you just might get it.  I really enjoyed this short film and definitely look forward to what else the director and studio release next.

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