WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
Things get lost. For all our forgetfulness and hurried states of being, we easily tend to misplace even the simplest of items. This, of course, then drives us insane in searching high and low for said articles, only finding solace when they have returned to our possession. However, what if what is absent goes well beyond a basic object? What would we do to get it back? Another restless day begins for Kate (Emma Laidlaw) as she once again faces that which is now missing in her life–her daughter Rebecca (Amber Tasker). Filled with a deep sense of guilt and regretful sadness, Kate is also plagued by nightmares and visions that torment her waking and nighttime hours.
The blurred occurrences Kate experiences bring her into “contact” with young Rebecca, in addition to “seeing” her now ex-husband James (Matt Aistrup), with her daughter pleading for her mother to come and find her. Not always knowing whether she’s truly encountering these moments or if they are all drug-induced delirium and fallacies, Kate struggles to exhaustion to drive the eerie, ghostly world away. But, in one fit of haze, the rifts in space and time become stronger, and more is revealed to Kate than she’s ever known. Trying to convince James she’s not losing her mind, Kate embarks on a final push to guide a now adult Rebecca (Lucy Hird) back from the abyss.
Next, my Mind:
Addressing thematic elements ranging from the basics of loss, depression, and that which we would seek to find some form of peace to desperation, anger, frustration, and ultimate determination to find victory in a seemingly unwinnable (and highly fantastical) circumstance, writer/director Paul Wright’s 12-minute short film encompasses it all, then wraps it into a creepy, sci-fi/horror-infused package that gave this reviewer chills by the finale. The sheer magnitude of what is transpiring in Kate’s loss of a child and a marriage strikes home in itself. But, by adding the mind-warping, wraith-filled reality she must also endure in a quest to save her daughter across the span of time, the film is elevated to so much more while maintaining its narrative with well-presented pacing and imagery. The surreal/spooky visuals and an apropos music score are both executed with precision and intent, which aids in the effective, overall delivery.
Laidlaw provides Kate with a wonderfully down-to-earth demeanor and fervent emotional foundation that allows us as the viewer to relate more to her beyond the fantasy-based elements the character is confronting. As we witness the mundane and truly unengaged life Kate leads in trying to cope with her loss paired with the subsequent breakdown in her attempts to return to a regular existence, it all molds together and turns what should be the most nightmarish aspects of her environment into the primary catalyst to attain a sense of normalcy. Through the hardship of it, the progress Kate gains each time she stands firm against the torment draws her ever closer to her goal. It’s really a study in perseverance and utter belief in what you are pursuing, even in the face of all others around you doubting, and then having that opportunity to prove them wrong. Laidlaw’s subdued yet strongly impassioned performance greatly brings this dynamic alive here.
Supporting turns are solid here from Aistrup as Kate’s ex-husband James, who more than finds constant agitation with his ex-wife’s crazy notions about being able to “find” their lost daughter, at least until he’s face to face with startling proof of every word she’s said, along with Sanders and Hird playing said daughter Rebecca in both young and young adult forms, the latter adding the final exclamation point to the film’s positive yet unsettling, even frightening, end point. Other appearances are made from David Bresnahan, Cat Furiss, John Gillighan, Helen Longworth, and Bianca Rudman, all of whom provide satellite characters who still lend important instances to the greater story. In total, “Fissure” is a very worthy indie short film effort that this reviewer feels only scratches the surface of what could be a very interesting and even more scary feature-length effort, as being able to further explore the apparition-filled rip in time and space has much potential. In the meantime, enjoy this little taste of multiple genres and character-driven drama as only independent cinema can provide.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
