HOLD is a simple idea in a short film that’s reasonably well put together. The idea that a man in a post-apocalyptic world is after nothing more than a moment of emotional contact is a good one. It’s nicely shot by Joni Juutilainen, and Kolelas as Him is watchable. It’s not a short film that’s interested in the cliches of the genre, which is refreshing to see.
As the cinemas are full of the remake of the world beyond the apocalypse in ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ with its high octane action and explosions, it’s worth remembering that the original, a tale that was simply and well executed, was the depiction of a man with nothing left except revenge; or the excellent ‘The Rover’, in which a man simply wants his car back, the reveal as to why being tragic and moving.
HOLD is a short film that we wish would actually be longer, which is a good thing, so that we can understand more of the two characters and how they got to be where they are and what happens next. But, there are elements that almost say ‘student’ film – Her (Amanda Fernando-Stevens) seems nicely made-up for a survivor of the broken world in which she’s supposed to be cold and hungry (not seeming to be either), and neither character seems particularly affected by the sight of another survivor. There’s an odd shot choice of a hand-held long shot, suggesting that the two characters are being watched by a third, an idea that is either incorrect or not expanded upon (which is fine in a longer film, but misleading in a short).
OVERALL SUMMARY
Overall, HOLD is an interesting idea that could have been so much more. On a positive note, it’s good to see a story in this genre that didn’t have zombies in it, but tried to focus on one central theme of people needing each other for the most basic of needs. It’ll be interesting to see what Kolelas does next.
