X_X

People often say don’t let the past affect the present as well as the future. The director Sarah Johnson and writer-director Laura Winckles deep dive into the crime/ revenge genre to give us an intriguing script showcasing the complexities of relationships in the lives of our female protagonists Eva (Sarah Johnson) and Mia (Laura Winckles).

 

The plot of the X_X revolves around the discovery of a cryptic photo. The relationship between the two best friends shatters, leading to a spiral of revenge, betrayal and fatal confrontation that unravels long buried secrets.

 

The short film begins with upbeat/mysterious music, opening credits, and a few opening shots playing to introduce the leading ladies to the viewers increasing the degree of audience engagement with the content from the very start. A long shot followed by a series of mid shots is utilised by the makers to add the element of thrill and pace into the storyline to maintain the viewer’s interest. The set design, white, black, red, blue colours utilised for colour pallet, a combination of dim lighting and bright lighting to demonstrate the change in mood, music, dialogues, costumes, hair, makeup, and props are effectively incorporated in the narrative to elevate the climax.

 

In terms of performance, Sarah Johnson plays Eva who is a strong girl but is still healing from a heartbreak in the past. Johnson understands the nuances, and layers her character has in her personality portrays it convincingly to make her relatable in the eyes of the audience. Johnson beautifully depicts the emotional rollercoaster Eva experiences with each subplot in the story.

Laura Winckles plays Mia Eva’s best friend who appears to be helpful and kind but has a lot of things to find out about her as the screenplay progresses by both Eva and the viewers alike. The young actress showcases body language, voice modulation, facial expressions, and eyes needed to demonstrate revenge, betrayal, and a huge showdown in the climax.

 

X_X talks about the efforts required to keep any relationship working for a long time and how a dirty secret/ unwanted behaviour can bring it crashing down forever with no chance of making it the same ever again. The short film reiterates the importance of peace of mind, prioritising taking care of one’s mental health instead of going back to something which can be further detrimental to the same. The cinematic piece teaches the audience that one should get rid of all negative emotions like jealousy, regret, betrayal as well as revenge because life is very valuable and not worth losing for petty things. The creative piece also talks about how crucial living in the present is without worrying about the past or the future because one cannot control either.

 

To conclude I would like to appreciate Sarah Johnson, and Laura Winckles for keeping the viewers hooked on to the content even with less than 5 minutes run time. The Sequel is a good idea to appeal to the viewers who choose to come back and watch the second part.