Guerrilla (Short)
It’s honestly hard to imagine having many other movies this year being quite as well done as Shane Ryan’s “Guerrilla.” This 13-minute short is a fantastically-made film in every way, from the cinematography and editing to the music and period details, and it holds your attention as we see an apocalyptic outbreak take place in 1989. (An interesting choice for past-period setting over futuristic setting, but Ryan makes it work exceptionally well, giving him a chance to pay homage to a decade of cinema that, likely, means a lot to him.) I love the experience of watching this movie in every way, shape or form. Unfortunately, this isn’t a film, exactly. Instead, this film, which does chart the beginning, middle and end of a post-apocalyptic narrative, feels like a sizzle reel a filmmaker might put together to show “proof of concept” for investors in a potential feature film which will follow the hero (played by the young, charismatic Mars Mohamed) as she adapts to this new world, and kicks ass as the virus spreads. In conception, this is an interesting and original approach to narrative storytelling, as Ryan flashes title cards to give us an idea of what we’re looking at, and how the story progresses. It’s a compelling hook, but wrings hollow, sadly, due to the fact that there is no emotional investment to be made with the characters or the situation. I would absolutely watch a feature film, or, at least, a LONGER film, from this concept, but what we have isn’t a complete film experience. That is heartbreaking to me, because I love so much about what Ryan has to offer here.
