Roller Coaster

The exceptional comedy short, Roller Coaster, written and directed by Bradley Hawkins, revolves around "Emily," a young actress who encounters various obstacles while trying to make her way to an audition. Through the music and acting, the short film takes a hurried and frustrating ride through Los Angeles that hooks you from the very beginning. Using a point-of-view shot ascending the tracks of a roller coaster combined with music reminiscent of a horror film, a feeling of dread abounds, alluding that something is bound to go terribly wrong. One of the most noteworthy aspects of the film is the way that the maddening journey "Emily" (Sarah Hawkins) takes through LA is juxtaposed with quick shots of a younger version of herself screaming her way through a roller coaster ride, giving an inside look into the feelings of the young actress. Another fascinating aspect of the film is the way the writer/director, Bradley Hawkins, is able to say so much with so little dialogue. The audience cannot help but laugh at the relatable reactions "Emily" has to the troubles that she faces. Roller Coaster is not to be missed, and I am looking forward to seeing what Hawkins creates next.

Short films are tough. Most viewers have far less experience watching short films than feature length ones, and so are less fluent in the language of the genre they're viewing. Additionally, most directors have a harder time creating the "magic of the movies" when given only a fraction of the time - and often times a fraction of the money - they would have when working on a feature length film. Yet the challenges of short films, both for viewers and creators, can sometimes lead to truly wonderful films, and such is the case with Bradley Hawkin's Roller Coaster. It is an excellent film that manages to balance the timing, whit, and relatable characters needed to make a great short. As the lead, Sarah Hawkins demonstrates her versatility as an actress by managing to make you laugh all while being knocked around by a worst-day-of-the- year type situation. I highly recommend this movie to both new comers and seasoned veterans of the short film genre.

I saw this recently, and its rawness and authenticity really stood out to me. It's easily to relate to, as we've all had days where what could go wrong, did. I liked the humor of it- at times, subtle, other times, over the top. Sarah Hawkins is wonderful as Emily, the main character. She seems very natural and I felt sympathy as her character fights her way through her day. Jim Casella's score also added a lot to the film, as it blended well with both the characters and the action of the story. This film reminded me of a Chaplin film or Buster Keaton. A lot of physicality as well as some pretty outrageous characters. It's a fun film to watch. What I liked most was the pacing and the music, which really gave a sense of what the audition process is like. The acting is spot on. I look forward to more work from this director.

Great short! Fun to watch! It's a cute little story that is relatable to us all, but should really connect with actors and actresses and the gut-wrenching anticipation of an audition. In this case, complicated by a stream of frustrating events.

You could feel the frustration in Emily as one thing after another goes wrong. How many of us haven't pounded the steering wheel in frustration? This reinforces that it's much easier to chuckle when it's happening to some else.

Roller Coaster was an enjoyable ride - well acted, well edited and well directed. It's easy to see why this is already an award winner. Should be interesting to see what else comes their way.

Looking forward to more from this director. Perhaps something feature length with this level of excellence.

Roller Coaster is a rare gem of a short film that takes you on an emotional up and down journey, and leaves you wanting to take the ride with the film makers over and over again. The story is a simple one. Young actress Emily Chadwick, played by newcomer Sarah Hawkins, encounters many relatable obstacles on her way to an audition. It would have been very easy to take this Murphy's Law tale into farcical territory. Instead, the multitalented Bradley Hawkins has written and directed the story to focus on Emily's naturalness, and ease her through the rough moments and oddities around her. Sarah Hawkins has such a genuine freshness as Emily, that as the camera follows her twists and turns - we feel the frustration, anxiety and joys along with her. That Ms. Hawkins conveys all of these emotions in a largely unspoken part, speaks volumes to her ability to play for the camera and I look forward to seeing her blossoming movie career. Also noteworthy is first time director Bradley Hawkins' efforts in shepherding an ensemble of acting talent and technical skill - especially in regard to photography, musical score, and editing. The pacing and tone of Mr. Hawkins' directing style work well here and are sure to translate into many future projects. Ultimately what Roller Coaster and Bradley Hawkins delivers is a delightful ride.