“One of the most awarded horror shorts in history” is a rather hefty statement to hold, does Lion hold its own or does it buckle under the weight of expectations?

From the get-go you can see the polish and production values put into this 11-minute short film. Even the opening credits seem more stylized than some feature-length movies. It opens on a snowy night and lone cabin in the woods. Followed by images flashing across a TV with domestic violence being heard in the background, which can be jarring if this is a sensitive subject for you.

The cast consists of just three people; an alcoholic father, a complacent mother and an abused child. With such a short run time, the characters are drawn with very broad strokes though it’s completely understandable. Once the film gets going, it doesn’t let up until the final scene which I felt actually added to the gravity of the situation.

From a technical level, LION stands strong. The visuals are well done, while only wavering when it comes to instances of CGI and even then it wasn’t downright awful. One part of the production that really stood out though was the music. It was thoughtfully used throughout, while not being distracting or overwhelming.

I went into LION without knowing anything about it and I was pleasantly surprised by how well-done and thought out it was. I could easily see this concept turned into something longer which would only help flush out the characters and add more emotional investment. With solid production, clean visuals, a tight story and something to actually say it turned into 11 minutes well spent.