One thing that always strikes me when I see a short film is often how the credits demonstrate how many folks work behind the scenes to bring something short and (seemingly) simple to life.  That for the two people on the screen there’s another four dozen just off camera doing everything from writing and directing to catering, costumes, makeup and the technical equipment.  It takes an army to bring something small to life.

The Leaving is no exception, with a considerable list of folks in the end credits responsible for bringing this little gem to life. Filmed in 2017, the short spent a few years on the festival circuit garnering positive responses before finally being officially released in late 2021.

The film opens with Ariel (Melissa Shammail) in the bath, candles and bubbles surrounding her as she slides below the surface of the water. After the title card we see her get dressed, check her phone, pour a bottle of wine, and prepare to chop vegetables in the kitchen, grabbing two large knives for the task (seems like overkill, but maybe these are really tough vegetables).  A noise outside and she is through the door to see what’s out there. Turns out she’s in a cabin in the woods (or at least a wood-paneled house in the woods). At this moment, the filmmakers demonstrate some real skill in reveals/jump scares, as we briefly see a man in the distance, lurking behind some trees – a very effective shot. Not seeing the man, Ariel returns inside and finds the knives missing.  Before you can say, “he was outside and far away, how did he already get the knives) she is playing cat-and-mouse in the house with the intruder.

I’m going to stop the summary there, as to reveal more is to give away the twist, so to speak, but the film reveals itself to be a portrait of a woman trapped by the threatened violence in her life.  The intruder (Marshall Cowan) wears what appears to be some kind of softball shirt and a creepy mask that covers the lower half of the face and is quite effectively disturbing. Shammail carries the film nicely and director Smith and cinematographer Samuel Twidale effectively use light and shadow and moving closeups to create claustrophobia and paranoia (Continuing the idea of praise for the folks behind the camera, kudos to Twidale and his crew – the film is shot beautifully).  Simple, but effective.

I understand the filmmakers are now working on a feature-length version of the story, which is good news. They have revealed themselves to be competent and judicious at making horror cinema, something some folks working in features for years have yet to master.  So I will certainly be in line to see a full length version of The Leaving.  Until then, you can enjoy the thirteen-minute version, which can be more successful at creating scares than films with 80 more minutes and millions more dollars.

9 out of 10