Drink

A mother and her boys. in night, in a motel . a warning in bath. and few events changing everything. a psychological short film. more than disturbing because it not propose , in fact, a plot, but few questions. far to be comfortable. about temptation, past, desires and the normality. about risks and interdictions and purposes. short, more a fairy tale than a Sci. Fi.

I personally believe this short film was a very creative take on psychological horror with a very powerful underlying message.

The story is a simple one involving a mother who regrets having had her children. She wants to be happily wed to her husband and be the apple of his eye, but instead she has to compete with her children and often loses to them when it comes to his affections. She is driving down a road aimlessly with her boys when she happens upon a motel where the Innkeeper warns her of the conditions of the water in the only vacant room - room 13. In room 13, she and her boys discover just how "bad" the water is, thus the psychological trip begins.

The acting, lighting, and camera work were all very good in my opinion and set up a proper atmosphere and working together to pull the viewer in. The child actors really played their parts well, the younger representing the purity of innocence and the older representing corruption, or a lack of innocence. The adult actors also do a splendid job at playing their roles convincingly well. The script was good and played out realistically - it never felt corny or cheesy or forced. As for the effects, they took a very creative approach to some familiar and aging shock tactics, which was somewhat revitalizing to the entire experience. The musical score is very fitting, not too loud, produces wonderful atmosphere, and really helps the scenes as they quickly transition, thus helping to make sense of how the actors feel and how the viewers should feel.

Overall, it plays out like a Twilight Zone skit, and somewhat masterfully so I would say when considering it's a short film on a rather low budget. The ending is wonderful and powerful as you see the look of despair on her face when met with the fact that she now has what she wished for, but with a horrible twist.

Often times as interesting as it is confusing, Drink is a psychological thriller that seems to try and play with your perception more than it actually does. To say Drink is competently made would be an understatement. The shot composition is good, photography is good, lighting is good, sound work is good, music is good, etc. There's a lot of meat on the bones here in terms of the films technical aspects. The small cast are more than serviceable in their respective roles and carry the film through to the end without making it seem hokey, something that can be all too easy given the genre. The problem with this film is that, although it has the guts of an interesting psychological tale that weaves you in and out with whether or not it's being literal or metaphorical, it decides to instead take a simpler road and by the end of it, I couldn't help but feel as though it should have gone further down the 'rabbit hole'. It could have been a terribly compelling work that left you hanging on a thread and desperate for more, but instead it makes you think there's more courses to this meal when you're already being served the entree. Not at all a work anyone involved should be ashamed of, and certainly worth a look, Drink manages to underwhelm with dignity.