To Be Alone Short Film Review

Score: 9/10

Film Name: To Be Alone

Directed by: Matthew Mahler

Written by: Matthew Mahler

Starring: Timothy J. Cox

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Rarely do films portray grief with such unnerving accuracy. But this contemplative piece of filmmaking, with its powerful central performance and horror-movie atmosphere, really hits the nail on the head.

To Be Alone examines grief and loneliness and the devastating effect it has on the human psyche through the experience of William, a man suffering from loss.

A film with little in the way of dialogue, To Be Alone relies on its soundtrack, cinematography and the physical presence of its cast to tell its story. No small feat for a film with, predominantly, only one cast member in it. Fortunately, Timothy J. Cox is more than capable of creating and portraying interesting and well-developed characters; and here, is more than able to bear the weight of a considerably hefty film with his superbly understated performance.

A deftly made and harrowing soundtrack, courtesy of Matthew Mahler, sets the dismal tone of the film and hints towards greater darkness. Hints Jonathan Giannotte adopts and expands upon with his remarkable horror-inflected cinematography. Crooked framing and long, unbroken close-ups form a palpable sense of claustrophobia and loneliness; representing perfectly the state of William's mind.

Thematically, loneliness and grief are at the fore of To Be Alone. Themes traditionally bathed in melancholia. Imparting a horror-movie atmosphere to the proceedings gives the film an edge few can boast of and even fewer have done successfully. The excellent The Babadook and Jennifer Trudrung's brilliant horror-short, Unbearing, are rare examples: To Be Alone is very much along the same vein.

As in all good horror films, there's a place of dread and fear our protagonist dare not, or should not, enter. In The Babadook, it was the basement; in Unbearing, it was the child's bedroom; and in To Be Alone, it's the master bedroom. These places act as the epicentre of madness. Rooms which contain evil, the source of psychosis, that must be confronted in order for our protagonist to move on.

The actions of a character in such a place give us an idea of their state of mind and hint at whatever outcome we can expect for them. And rarely is the outcome straightforward or untroubled. Because, as in real life, mental illness isn't that simple and tends not to just go away.

This is powerful filmmaking, deserving as wide an audience as possible.

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