SHORTWAVE

CONFUSION WORKS

Kudos to Director, Writer and Editor Ryan Gregory Phillips for putting together an intriguing sci-fi thriller with SHORTWAVE.  Indie films require the man at the helm to wear many hats and Phillips styles with clever aplomb.  As an editor, he baits the viewer with flash editing sequences and keeps his film to the perfect 90-minute length.  As a writer, he makes the most with the least amount of characters; and as director, he utilizes his crew to complement his budget limitations.

The most beneficial tool in Phillips’ arsenal is confusion.  Within the first two reels, SHORTWAVE shifts from a kidnapping story, to a high-tech house prison thriller, to an alien invasion action film.  The scenes bounce between the three-story angles, keeping the viewer off skewer.   This technique works well for the majority of the film, but it is apparent the budget kept Phillips from writing a less conspiratorial conclusion.  

Production Designer John Richoux teams with Yellow Turtle FX to create adequate effects for SHORTWAVE.  The violence and blood scenes are efficacious.  The monsters are a bit lame, incorporating the trite methodology of strategically placed prosthetics with black body paint.  This sci-fi black face is typical for smaller budgets.

Director of Photography Lucas Galth incorporates cant camera angles and off-line framing to add to Phillips’ aura of confusion.  The technique is effective, though the over the shoulder ploy is used too often.

Josh and Isabel Harris, played by Cristobal Tapia Montt and Juanita Ringeling, respectively, lose their only daughter when she is kidnapped from a local library.  To help renew their lives, Josh’s company relocates them to a secluded hillside research facility.  Meanwhile, Josh and his research partner, Thomas, played by Kyle Davis, discover a cryptic shortwave radio signal and its universal origins. Problems arise when the signal opens a portal to an alien race as the couple is struggling with its own emotional trauma.  Also starring are Tina Feliciano, Nina Senicar and Sara Malakul Lane.  The film is filled with dreaded three-name people, as newbies search for elusive fame.

SHORTWAVE is a weird and cramped sci-fi yarn.  Its purposeful confusion is its draw.  It is currently available on Video On Demand (VOD).  I found SHORTWAVE an interesting view, and I believe you will also.