Pusher (Short)
Andi Morrow’s “Pusher” comes from the heart. I’m not sure if it’s something she witnessed first hand, but it wouldn’t surprise me if there was a personal element to the film. Regardless, it tells a story of a young woman who is starting to see the damage left in her wake, and questioning her decisions. It’s successful, in that regards.
“Pusher” starts with Brittany Lee (Morrow) being visited by Hailey (Dara Tiller), coming to give her a fresh supply of opioids to sell, and telling Brittany Lee that she’s out. Brittany Lee doesn’t believe her, at first, but by the time the conversation ends, we fully believe Hailey. She also wants Brittany Lee to question this life for herself, as well, and as we see her deal with a buyer later, we can tell on her face that she is. An impromptu church visit with her grandmother has her further questioning, when a younger grandmother pleads to God to help her daughter and the father of his granddaughter, who are addicted to opioids. Brittany Lee needs some time to herself, and it could lead to her changing the way she approaches the days to come.
The last scene of this film has Brittany Lee talking to the customer from earlier, and it’s left up in the air what her feelings about what she’s been doing are. That’s one of the things I like about Morrow’s film- we see Brittany Lee at a crossroads, one that could still lean either way, even if it seems to be pointing towards a specific direction. She is taking in information in each encounter during the film, and we are left wondering what her choice will be. Ultimately, I think it will be the choice the film seems to be pointing her towards, but if it isn’t, “Pusher” still makes for a compelling character study.
