Shadow (Short)
“Shadow” is a short film that feels deceptively simple. It tells the story of four people through the eyes of one: Jane (Revell Carptenter), a young woman being tutored in Calculus by Allen (Kumasi Hopkins), whom she has a crush on. One day, he introduces her to Will (writer-director Nicholas Goodwin), whose interests seem less than on the up-and-up considering his girlfriend, Jessica (Samantha Morias). It’s a complicated life for a woman in the middle of figuring herself out, and life is going to get more difficult for her.
Goodwin’s story is a palpable and painful one to watch now, when what it shows is an all-too-prevalent issue in society. The smartest thing he does is keep us focused in on Jane’s perspective during this film and the last thing we see is her after everything has played out. It’s haunting, and hits us hard, even if it feels a bit underdeveloped at 12 minutes, and doesn’t really have much going on emotionally.
