The Horizon (Short)
A movie like Avery Cohen’s “The Horizon” is a pleasure to watch for me. There’s not a lot of muss and fuss when it comes to the story it’s telling, and the way it tells it is even simpler. The writing, by Cohen and Charley Parker, is easy to digest but also hides secrets. The direction cuts out the fat and gets right to the gist of the film. And the performances serve the story well. There’s nothing powerful or revelatory in Cohen’s film, but it’s engaging and touching, all the same.
The film starts with Henry (Chris Russo) and Violet (Isabella Hartman) talking on a beach at sunset. Henry is nervous about going home- he is vague about his reasons, but Violet tries to convince him otherwise. He left home because of certain events that made it uncomfortable to return, and he talks around it with her, eventually convincing her to come into the car after saying goodbye. He goes to pick up some friends who were too drunk to drive, and they stop outside of his family’s home. He’s not ready to go in, but he does anyway, and memories come flooding back. Cohen’s film has a sharp focus and warmth that makes it easy to watch, even if it doesn’t land a heavy emotional punch at the end. This film is still a smart, engaging short drama about a young man struggling with a pain he’s uncomfortable bringing up to even those closest to him, and Cohen makes us care the entire way.
