Reunion road-trip radically recalls rancorous revenge rampantly ravaging on a relentless rampage.

Deadline is a short film produced by Abnormal Productions available on YouTube for free. It starts off with a man arriving to his family’s home. He’s in town for a high school reunion. There’s a note on the door explaining how they had to go out but he could let himself in. While waiting for them he receives a series of mysterious, unsettling phone calls. What follows is the twisted tale of how his past has come back to haunt him.

This one man show was written, directed, edited, and stars Christopher C. Keene. I say that because the amazing thing is he filmed it entirely on his own on his IPhone while in isolation during all the real life horror of the current pandemonium. It looks like a professionally shot film. He offers some unique visuals using camera tricks to create the tension. It’s written at a pace that fills you in with all you need to know in a short amount of time. He really understands the concepts of how less is more and how sometimes brevity can be your friend. It feels the introduction segment of a feature film that I’d be invested in because of this. As an actor he seems very natural in front of the camera too. His performance captures the tension well as it escalates to more dire circumstances. My only complaint is the end is muddled. It’s unclear what how or why the climax unfolds the way it does. The editing isn’t overdone either, like most modern films. Instead of relying on quick cuts he uses a variety of editing tricks to keep things visually appealing.

Overall, Deadline is an excellent example of how less is more. Exposition is delivered in a calculated manner allowing for the horror to occur organically in an organized way. He’s so focused and confident in his story it’s something to be admired by any aspiring artist. It’s on YouTube for free and is certainly worth the watch because the ending is open to interpretation. Just because I didn’t understand doesn’t mean you won’t. And remember, some skeletons in the closet may have a bone to pick with you no matter how much time has passed.

Give it a watch below!

8 out of 10