Mask

A woman attempts to help a baby that has been left alone in a car by the parent.

 

In the car park of a shopping centre, a woman (O'Connell) is in her parked car and she is wearing a nurse uniform. Another car arrives and parks next to her's. Inside is a man (Earley) who appears to be unstable and in the back there is a baby in a car seat, presumably his child. The man attempts to make a phone call, however his phone's screen is smashed, so he exits the vehicle and walks to a shop in order to get it fixed. Meanwhile, the nurse approaches his car and proceeds to entertain the child.

 

The narrative of this short thriller is separated into two storylines, alternating between the woman interacting with the baby and the man trying to take care of his phone. Initially, it is indicated that the woman is a decent person as she is a nurse, comes across as cheerful and friendly and appears to be concerned that a baby has been left inside a car. However, clues come to light that suggest that her intentions might be different and as the story progresses, it is felt that something terrible is going to take place.

 

Regarding the man (who is played very convincingly by Earley), there are a lot of elements that make him stand out in a negative way. It is revealed that he is an alcoholic and his smashed phone is evidence of the effects his addiction has on his behaviour. He is also an irresponsible parent by leaving his child alone in the car. As bad as he appears to be though, it is also shown that deep down he is a caring person.

 

Filmed on location at the Citywest Shopping Centre in Dublin, COVID-19 is also present in this film, with masks, social distancing and signs about the virus. Praise from the public to healthcare workers is also shown.

 

Director of photography David Christopher Lynch does an amazing job with the cinematography and composer Sarah Sherlock makes a great contribution with the tense and dramatic music.

 

This is a tense and dramatic thriller that explores themes of child neglect and alcoholism and points out that sometimes there can be more to people than meets the eye.