Karen’s (Savira Windyani) friend and self-defense instructor Ed (Jesse Howland), insists on taking her out to celebrate her birthday in the new short film WHAT DIDN’T KILL ME. Instead of acquiescing she agrees but stipulates, “I’ll drive.” A subtle moment but one in which out lead takes control in a short film about Trauma that is simplistic, yet adequately satisfying if not slightly predictable.

Jason Coulter‘s direction of a script by Michael S. Garcia, Savira Windyani is multifaceted as we are guided through a story that wants to bounce around, into supporting scenes until we get to the climactic moment of redemption and straight-up action. We begin with Karen and her friend walking home from work and surviving an attack. We end with Karen later confronting her attacker. Yet the way the story is told gives us the info we need to see these characters as people rather than paper-thin portrayals.  It’s a clever device that uses the 14-minute runtime effectively.

In the very lean runtime, we get a sense of Windyani‘s considerable talent in acting as well as stage combat. We also get a sense of director Coulter‘s ability to lead the viewer through a script that needs to be aware of the audience’s sense of time and place.

I have to say that I liked WHAT DIDN’T KILL ME quite a bit. However, I found the unique approach to telling the story and the capable direction, not to mention performances, felt a little predictable. Perhaps that wasn’t the point, and, fair. This is a story of empowerment and one that is satisfying but it lacks surprise. Instead, it has the comforting knowledge that the right people will get what they deserve.

6 out of 10