Tunnelen

12 minutes short movie from André Øvredal (The Autopsy of Jane Joe, Last Voyage of Demeter and the excellent Troll Hunter from 2010) this short tells a story on a dystopic future overcrowded with people.

A family caught in a huge "normal" traffic of about 5 km / hour literally walks like a line of prisoners through a gruesome high tech tunnel under the infinite high-rises that goes to the skies.

The father and mom are tense but nothing shows why:

The only sign that gives a hint of the tension of the drivers is a barely legible graffiti written on the side of the entrance for a couple of seconds.

I can say that the production is very well done (just the cars CG is very artificial), and the premise is very dark. Clever idea but lacks maybe a bit more "punch".

I would give it a score of 6,5 out of 10,0 / B.

In the dystopic future, much of humanity must live in massive cities due to overpopulation, dwindling resources and other calamities. Due to the neverending growth of the population, we have The Tunnel.

This concept was explored in American writer Shirley Jackson's The Lottery, where maintaining population and strict societal rules are key to maintaining a way of life. Whatever way of life the people in the story are experiencing, it's worth taking the risk of going out of the city and experiencing a different world.

The pacing is taught and specific, focusing mostly on the anxiety of the two parents. They know and understand the risks of leaving this sprawling metropolis. Either way, it's a well put together short film that doesn't dazzle too much with exposition and overwrought emotion. Just a slow moving anxiety that is difficult for most to comprehend.

The tension is the lead trait of this special short film. The dialogues, the faces, the foot from the first scene, the cars and the sketch of tunnel behind enter in it. The small love story, the other details. And the feeling to see a mix of dystopian film and SAci. Fi. Both - as pieces of powerful menace. A film about family. A well crafted, in many sense, one.

After seeing the title of the movie, is it a Nordic country's short film? I said to myself :) Yes, it was right. Norway. The dystopian mood of the movie was very good. Also, after learning what the tunnel is for, it turns into a short film thriller.

Nothing too groundbreaking here but it is an enjoyable watch and well acted. More could have been done with this premise but it effectively sets up an atmosphere of dread and anxiety.