Pylon

A short thriller drama written and directed by Barnaby Blackburn and starring Louis Thresher, Tommy Finnegan, Olivia Lynes and Elly Condron.

Two children siblings, Sara (Lynes) and Thomas (Finnegan) are walking in a field by themselves. Shortly, they encounter a gang of teens who have an airgun. The two groups seem to know each other and following vicious taunting and bullying by the unruly and aggressive youths, Thomas is forced to commit a life-threatening act that will spread chaos and peril.

This ten-minute-long short contains a great deal of tension and drama. Beginning as a story about bullying, it transfers to a life-and-death situation. Although the screenplay is distressing, it is intriguing and deserves praise for the heavy drama. Watching two defenceless children (particularly Thomas) being tormented by a group of older boys is quite upsetting and reveals the harsh realities of such situations: inconsiderate individuals targeting the vulnerable just to amuse themselves. And then, things turn into a race-against-the-clock rescue mission. The story is dark and the ending is devastating and this is how this film gets the viewer's attention, making them contemplate the terrible events that take place. The heavy atmosphere is supported by Luis Almau's ominous and dramatic score and the decision to include Die Trauernde by Johannes Brahms during the closing credits was a wise choice as it effectively accompanies the melancholy following the tragic ending with a poignant plot twist. Another aspect to be mentioned would be the well-executed long takes.

If there is something that could had been improved or done differently, then that would be the ending, which leaves one of the characters in a crucial situation and it probably would had been a better resolution if their fate was revealed.

Regarding the acting, it is strong and dramatic. Arguably, the one who stands out the most is Thresher, who plays Benny, the one who appears to be the leader of the gang. An aggressive and critical youngster, he mercilessly and cruelly torments and humiliates Thomas. Finnegan and Lynes are sympathetic as two innocent children who become targets for bullies.

The themes in this film are quite harsh. Bullying is a main one and it is vividly portrayed, showing the awful ways perpetrators torment and the effects is has on the victims, making them feel broken and humiliated. The short is also a commentary about yob violence, the consequences of reckless actions and fractured family ties and perhaps, to some extent, neglectful parenting. Regarding positive subjects, the story looks into self-esteem, bravery and parental love.

This is not a happy story. This is a dark story about tormenting and its consequences and the hard-hitting ways that it explores them makes it a harsh viewing but also a thoughtful and memorable one.