An amazing directorial debut from Ella Purnell, and equally impressive acting debut from Max Bennett Kelly.
The short film follows Hollywood Thompson (Kelly) as he faces various pressures from his girlfriend Dee (Purnell) and his manager Clauneck (Alex Mills) to get back into boxing after he steps down from the sport.
The first thing I want to note is the cinematography of the film. It looks amazing, something I noticed throughout the entire film. Every shot is just absolutely gorgeous and come together to make an almost grungy/gritty aesthetic. Aside from the visual aesthetics of the film, it makes great use of light as a means to establish mood and camera placement/angles to build tension. I also appreciated the unique portions such as the stylized montage of LA or the glitchy security cam footage. Seriously some incredible directing talent from Ella Purnell, I'm excited to see what comes next from her.
Next, the cast are all such good actors. While Purnell and Mills both have a wealth of experience when it comes to acting, this is both Kelly's acting debut and if I had been told that going into the film I would've been shocked. Though, I want to highlight Mills especially, he plays his role as a sort of scummy, money hungry manager very well. That is not to say that Kelly and Purnell were not also impressive, their performances are also great and their chemistry shines through in the scenes they share (we love a power couple!).
And the music! With a soundtrack done by Kelly himself from his EP of the same title, it's no wonder that the music perfectly fits with the mood of the film. The man is gifted in so many fields, it's insane.
Quickly I want to highlight the special effects work seen towards the end of the film, the gory punched out head of Clauneck Rice was seriously so cool. The effect was done by Jake Porath and I definitely recommend checking out his other work.
I will say that while the story can be somewhat outlandish at times, that didn't detract from my enjoyment of the film. The scenario is definitely based in absurdity but the characters feel grounded in reality by the fact that the problems they're dealing with are that which can happen to anyone (demanding boss, needing to make rent, relationship troubles, etc.)
Overall, such an incredible project. Just so well produced in every aspect. Gem of a cast and crew. Make sure to give it a stream or two.
The short film follows Hollywood Thompson (Kelly) as he faces various pressures from his girlfriend Dee (Purnell) and his manager Clauneck (Alex Mills) to get back into boxing after he steps down from the sport.
The first thing I want to note is the cinematography of the film. It looks amazing, something I noticed throughout the entire film. Every shot is just absolutely gorgeous and come together to make an almost grungy/gritty aesthetic. Aside from the visual aesthetics of the film, it makes great use of light as a means to establish mood and camera placement/angles to build tension. I also appreciated the unique portions such as the stylized montage of LA or the glitchy security cam footage. Seriously some incredible directing talent from Ella Purnell, I'm excited to see what comes next from her.
Next, the cast are all such good actors. While Purnell and Mills both have a wealth of experience when it comes to acting, this is both Kelly's acting debut and if I had been told that going into the film I would've been shocked. Though, I want to highlight Mills especially, he plays his role as a sort of scummy, money hungry manager very well. That is not to say that Kelly and Purnell were not also impressive, their performances are also great and their chemistry shines through in the scenes they share (we love a power couple!).
And the music! With a soundtrack done by Kelly himself from his EP of the same title, it's no wonder that the music perfectly fits with the mood of the film. The man is gifted in so many fields, it's insane.
Quickly I want to highlight the special effects work seen towards the end of the film, the gory punched out head of Clauneck Rice was seriously so cool. The effect was done by Jake Porath and I definitely recommend checking out his other work.
I will say that while the story can be somewhat outlandish at times, that didn't detract from my enjoyment of the film. The scenario is definitely based in absurdity but the characters feel grounded in reality by the fact that the problems they're dealing with are that which can happen to anyone (demanding boss, needing to make rent, relationship troubles, etc.)
Overall, such an incredible project. Just so well produced in every aspect. Gem of a cast and crew. Make sure to give it a stream or two.