Bullified (Short)
We’ve heard a lot about people who have been bullied over the years, and as someone who was bullied over the years, I definitely believe their stories must be told, and understood to see the ramifications of bullying. However, what about people who bully themselves? Why do they do this to others? That’s the central idea behind “Bullified,” a short film about a career criminal (Russ Camarda) who is in prison, having been accused of murdering people he bullied as a child. He visited each one trying to atone for his mistakes, but now, the evidence points to him. Will he be able to convince a famed psychiatrist (Katherine Barron) of his reformed mental state?
I’ll let the film itself, written by Lee Kolinsky and directed by Steve Sage Goldberg, answer that question, but I will admit that “Bullified” certainly asks it in a way I never really thought of before. It’s predominantly two people talking, but it’s well constructed in it’s ability to tell it’s story quickly, and intelligently, and in a way that makes the conclusion come out of thin air. Helping to accomplish this is a sense of style and mood Goldberg creates that gives the film the right tone, and strong performances by Camarda and Barron that make us believe everything we’re seeing from these characters, including the way they part ways. The result is a drama that brings new perspective on a topic we’ve heard too much of in recent years, and the result is sad, and altogether compelling.
