"Turning Point" is an American English-langauge short film from 2015 that runs for 14 minutes and is the most recent filmmaking effort by writer and director Joe Penna. He came up with the script together with his longtime collaborator Ryan Morrison. Penna is certainly on the rise right now because of his upcoming film starring the excellent Mads Mikkelsen. And past that, he he another big project coming up that seems to be starring Anna Kendrick. Both of these films deal with isolation it seems, be it in space or in the ice and so does this short we have here. It may be a common subject for Penna. The lead actress here is Jade Harlow and it is basically a one-(wo)man show. The male cast members listed are actors from which you will only hear their voices. This is a story of a scientist/explorer who wakes up in a deserted house in an even more deserted area and we find out she has been contaminated. She is in contact with her colleagues via phone and tells them about the situation, where she is what she has with her etc. There is a food reference that almost feels a bit funny, but it makes sense. Early on I had a bit of a feeling, it may not be the best idea if she tells the men about her location, as they may see her as a threat, but that idea switches into a different direction, more in the sense that she may be using all she can to get them there and perhaps even trap them. There are indicators like her saying she will kill herself, soe she won't pose a threat and then she doesn't eventually. But I think it is not really meant like that that she bears any grudge whatsoever, she just isn't capable of that I suppose. The ending is a bit open too when we see them meet finally, which also emphasizes the isolation plot as the moment her isolation (and also possibly her life) ends is when the closing credits roll in. I think everybody working on this one did a solid job, not just Penna and Harlow, but also those working on the make-up (her constantly deteriorating health, even if she looks still pretty stunning) and the set decoration that also has a great deal of desparation to it and adds such to the movie. It's not my favorite genre, so I liked this more than I thought I would. If you love science fiction, you probably will as well. This scene could also be used nicely as part or premise for a full feature film if Penna ever plans on doing that. He should recast Harlow then though and not a much more famous Hollywood actress I hope. Anyway, he seems ready for the transition from short film to big screen pictures. This one here is not a triumph or best-of-the-year material, but pretty interesting nonetheless. Go check it out!
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