Charming Blue

Preston Corbell’s short film Charming Blue takes us on a dreamlike journey told entirely through a first-person perspective. What begins as a simple walk along a park path quickly transforms into an exploration of surreal landscapes built from both nature and discarded objects.

The film opens in first person as we stroll along a park walkway with water stretching out to the left and buildings lined to the right. The path leads toward a dock, with sunlight shimmering on the water as words remind us not to wake up. A title declares that dreams define who we are, and the journey continues toward another dock. Soon the scene shifts into a strange, towering temple built from junk — cement walls studded with bottles, car seats arranged as benches, signs, and pipes forming walls and steps. It’s chaotic, yet undeniably deliberate, a shrine constructed from refuse.

“…a strange, towering temple built from junk…”

From there, the path moves into abandoned, sun-bleached saloon-like structures, their doors opening into a space where modern café chairs rest against weathered wood. The perspective changes again, this time aboard a boat, watching the peaceful wake trail behind from the stern as the engine cuts through the water. At the bow, the horizon rises, a perfect split between cloud-filled sky and lake. The vessel docks on a rocky island, and the point of view leaps barefoot across narrow crevices…and then the ending.

Charming Blue is much more of an experience than a traditional narrative. It’s like going on a nature hike and then going on a treasure hunt. Sure, the treasure is a junkyard and ghost town, but sometimes the greatest treasures are found in things that have no value in the world’s eye. I should mention that, as much as this feels like a YouTube walking tour, the ending is something I would give too much away by spoiling. That ending prompts you to reflect on everything you’ve seen and consider what’s truly important in life.