The Shovel

It is late at night when Paul is drawn from his porch by a strange noise coming from Hank's house. The noise is Hank digging a hole in the dusty dirt at the foot of his yard however the only issue Paul has is that he is using Paul's shovel to do it – one that he lent to him months before but never got back. Hank is annoyed by this comment and makes a big deal of returning it that very night. The next day Paul wakes to find that his shovel has indeed been returned to his porch but then starts to worry about the nature of the hole.

I won't spoil it but this short film is a nice little potted mystery that is build, floated and concluded all in the space of 15 minutes. The conclusion is a solid one but really it is all the work that had gone before this point that made me enjoy it. The opening scenes at night make for a great hook as they are full of intrigue and questions and lead neatly into later discoveries and developments. It moves quickly along to the point where I didn't really worry about specifics or have a lot of time to work it all out myself. The atmosphere is vital and in this regard Childs has done a great job in the script but also the direction.

He benefits from having a strong cast including some more used to "bigger" films that this. Strathairn makes an engaging lead and his delivery is spot on required – straightforward but with an edge to it. He is matched by smaller but equally good turns from Guinee and Huff – the former in particularly being a good presence. Overall then a punchy film that builds and delivers a satisfying story in a short time showing that not all short films need to be arty and introspective!

The Shovel hooked me from the opening credits (the score sets a deliciously haunting tone) and kept me guessing right up until the last moment. It's got an M. Night/Hitchcockian style where the visuals and the music create a feeling that is strangely eerie without ever going over the top. David Strathairn, pitch-perfect as usual, leads a tight ensemble cast.

The Shovel is everything a great short film should be - a simple (but compelling) premise that in 15 minutes provides a satisfying experience equal to most feature films. I look forward to seeing much more from Nick Childs.

Awesome!

Nick Childs, my coworker (CCO of DIRT Research Technologies, Inc - the future of user insights), forced me to watch this at work during a boring day of testing. Initially I rolled my eyes and started disparaging 'The Shovel' but when I finally started watching this short on Vimeo I was immediately hooked.

The chemistry between Strathairn and the shovel is tantalizing. The music is powerful. The dialogue is tight and moving.

My only wish was that this was longer as this has the potential to carry a full length series on HBO.

Great work Nick Childs. Very impressed and looking forward to more great work. I love you.