Nox

A moody and atmospheric thriller directed by up and coming filmmaker Keyvan Sheikhalishahi, in what is his sophomore effort following on from the promising Vesper in 2017, Nox is a short film well worth checking out.

Starring Matt Passmore from Jigsaw and TV show Satisfaction fame and Brigitte Millar from Spectre and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix fame, Sheikhalishahi has quickly managed to attract serious talent to enact out his visions on screen, with Nox another step up for the developing director.

Focusing on Passmore's Peter and Millar's Claire, partners in crime committing a burglary in a senators house on an election night, Nox offers up plenty of suspense and twists in its brief 11 minute run-time that will have viewers on the edge of their seats, a rare feat for a film that is so brief in length.

The tension and nervy vibe created here is largely due to Sheikhalishahi's slick handling of the material and whilst busy also managing such duties as prop design, production design and costume design, Sheikhalishahi's showcases a deft hand as an all-round filmmaker, one that will hopefully soon be seen in the feature film marketplace if that is what he so desires.

Another important aspect of Nox that elevates it from the doldrums that many short films fail to climb out of is its crisp cinematography by Jean-Claude Aumont and impressive score by musical duo Greco Casadesus and Gregory Cotti, whose partnership here instills Nox with a great personality character.

As with any short film, things so brief in nature often find it tough to emotionally invest viewers into it and that's the case here but as a thriller with polish, Nox is a high class event in the short film landscape.

Final Say -

Another impressive entry in the burgeoning filmography of Keyvan Sheikhalishahi, Nox is a worthwhile short film and a fine calling card for the talents of its young director.

3 ½ interrupted baths out of 5

A strange movie well shot, good light, top actors. At first glance it catch you until last second and leave you with a lot of questions and hypothesis and guessing after that, ideal for the following good company dinner !!! That's also the Short pleasure.

I'm always awed when someone can tell a complex story in a short time. The film Nox is an excellent example of that.

The opening shots of a nighttime vista of water and woods sweep across the screen, with the ominous tones of the score in the background. In a few short scenes, we learn that the movie is dark, edgy, and about a crime (or crimes).

I don't want to give away too much, but I will say that the story starts off deceptively simple. However, buried beneath that facade are possible inferences, plot complications, secrets.

As someone who writes crime fiction and knows something about thriller and crime tropes, this film's ending really made me think.

And the final shot? Love the watery reflection off the pool. I'll leave the rest for you to mull over.

Another great short thriller from writer-director Keyvan Sheikhalishahi.

This is a game changer. Sheikhalishahi manages to change the tropes and the codes of short films. In 11 minutes, the movie starts like a classic thriller, heist movie, yet the atmosphere is very stylish and Matt Passmore (Jigsaw, The Glades) and co-star Brigitte Millar (Harry Potter, Spectre) are quite mysterious and dark. But things get more complicated after the half of the movie when you understand that the structure of the movie is not as linear as it makes think and is built like a little puzzle with flashbacks, flash forwards and you have enough clues to decipher.

It's beautifully and cleverly made, yet you still doesn't fully understand why Sheikhalishahi has chosen this writing style, except for adding more suspens and mystery until the last part. The last part and its great visual twists give you all the keys you need to figure out what the movie really means from the very beginning and make your perception totally change. That's brilliant to do such a great job in 11 minutes.

Brilliantly written and directed, as there are beautiful shots, cool locations, a nice atmosphere with a great work from the cinematographer Jean-Claude Aumont and the two composers Gréco Casadesus and Gregory Cotti who give an impressive main theme.

Another brilliant feature from this short is that the movie is almost silent with no dialogs. Sheikhalishahi made everything visual (which is a great leap from his first short) including the major clues and how are built the twists. The few lines here are also important to help you understand what's going on and better get the timeline.

This a great short film which draws you in from the opening scene. My focus was heightened throughout and I found myself becoming more curious as each second passed by. I want to know everything. I want to know more. Well done! 🙌👌