The Clock

The Clock is a compelling Twilight Zone-esque short film with powerhouse performances from Wallace Shawn and CCH Pounder. CCH does a masterful job seamlessly transitioning from light-hearted comedic to heavier dramatic themes of life and death. The Clock maximizes the use of a single apartment with moody evening lighting captured on 35mm film, for a nice backdrop for our characters, leaning into the genre. The glaring bad apple of the film is the recurring cheesy animation that sours the film. When you have a unique premise anchored by recognizable talent and a cinematic aesthetic, amateur animation that looks like something from Fiverr or Storyblocks sticks out like a sore thumb. I was a bit shocked, given how professional the rest of the film was, and I'm not sure why they felt the need for this animation when it clearly took away from the film, rather than added.