There are short films that have a simple message, and there are others that leave you questioning what their purpose was. KIDDO is the kind of short which might leave you thinking of different ways to interpret the outcome, but none of them might give you a pleasant aftertaste.

Everything seems to be normal when a group of teenagers dressed alike board a bus on their way to Wonderland, a mysterious building that houses only-God-knows. On this non-stop journey, we see an older woman named Kiddo (Lisa Howard), and she seems to have a strange relationship with the people leading the trip. Where are they going and what is their purpose? The answers are dark, but what your mind may come to analyze out of the given context might be darker.

KIDDO is a short film of almost 15 minutes that stands out for its little dialogue, a contrasting cinematography due to its pastel and neon colors on a gray texture, and the interpretation of emotions focusing on the gestures of the characters. Its detailed work delivers good results, but the message it leaves remains open– and this can become a hard task for the viewer if they let their imagination run wild.

From my own analysis, without revealing many details of the plot and avoiding a certain inclination of the viewer to make a decision about its metaphor, I can say it left me two ways of interpreting it: the first related to the Hollywood-treatment of celebrities as time passes, and the second focused on the passing of each generation and the mistreatment they receive. Either makes it clear they have an impact on social interaction and the present dehumanization.

KIDDO hits society with the same bus driving to a final destination. It’s interesting, and at the same time daring, how it seeks to raise awareness through horror, a genre seen as entertainment or contempt, depending on views and beliefs– it’s an ironic allegory, and I applaud this attempt.

10 OUT OF 10 PET COLLARS