The Son (Short)
A son (Ryan Adkisson) goes on a hunting trip while a father (Russ Kingston) goes about doing things around the work shed. It’s a routine that has happened before, and the father thinks nothing of it, telling him to be back by noon. The son agrees, however, by 12:30, he hasn’t returned, sending the father on a frantic search for him.
Written by Maiana Bidegain, based on a story by Horacio Quiroga, this drama by director Adrian Vallarino is a simple setup, and has a fascinating progression to it’s finale, but I didn’t completely buy Kingston’s performance the way I have in other shorts he has done (“The Perfect Planet,” “Do It”). I believe he plays the role exactly as Vallarino directed him, but I felt like the choices the director asked of him felt too forced, and I think Kingston is capable of greater naturalism. The film rises and falls on this performance, and while it isn’t as good as it could have been (I don’t think), it does knock the film down a few steps from what it could have been, which is a shame because there’s an interesting story “The Son” is telling. Unfortunately, it falls short from making it truly memorable to watch.
