What Remains Short Film Review

★★★★

Directed by: #SriKandula

Starring: #SabelleCaviston, #AJCollevecchio, #AdamMyers

Short Film Review by: Alexandra James

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A short student film directed by Sri Kandula, What Remains is a thriller that is set in a post-apocalyptic world. There are few survivors, and there are cannibalistic creatures which are roaming the earth. The only thing that is keeping them alive is instinct and sticking together. Grace becomes a lone traveller after her fiancé’s death, she is fearful but determined to survive. Grace soon meets another lost soul though her travels called Oscar, a mute and timid guy who feels there is something about Grace he can’t trust, especially when her past keeps coming back to haunt her. What Remains focuses on this theme of survival, testing the limits of just how far you would go to save your own skin. As they fight to just exist, a piece of themselves eventually breaks away until they are further and further away from being human.

This short film throws the audience directly within the heart of the action, what was great is that the film had similar vibes to John Krasinski’s A Quiet Place. Although there are some plots that need a bit more explanation, there are films such as this, where that is not necessary, and a simpler storyline can create just as great an impact. Instead, we are led into a barren landscape, in rough weather conditions and barely any food around. This made for a compelling watch and a sense of curiosity as to why this was happening to them. As Oscar and Grace stumble across each other, they stick together throughout, clearly longing for some form of human interaction and to feel that sense of protection.

Both Grace and Oscar were troubled characters in their own way, however, the bond between them was evident, this could be interpreted as pure desperation for human contact or they relied on one another to make it through. They had a Ying and Yang feel about their personalities which made for a strong pairing and an exciting adventure. The camera work to this film was fantastic, the shots were diverse, and the locations used for the harsh landscapes strengthened that dark and unnerving theme.

Sri Kandula is an Indian-born American writer with a strong passion for film having studied Film-Video at Pennsylvania State University. His keen eye for detail allows him a lot of scope to experiment and find a cinematic style that reflects his passion and interest in macabre and nightmarish themes. This is definitely one to watch and it will be great to see how Sri progresses with more experience as well as bigger and better ideas and twists to his narratives.