Chaos

Himie Freeman writes, directs, and stars in the short film Chaos. Co-directed by Emmanuel Nkolo, Freeman is Ceddy, a Marine who’s just returned home. To celebrate his arrival, Ceddy’s best friend, Willy (Joe James), and Willy’s fiance, Keyarra (Kiah Alexandria), take him out for drinks and a few rounds of pool. While at the bar, Ceddy sees his high school crush, Rylie (Candice Marie Singleton), and soon enough, the two wind up back at her place. But Ceddy discovers he’s unlucky, as the next morning turns his world upside down.

Chaos is either the first episode of a web series, or it doesn’t have an ending. One of those is obviously better than the other. If it is the first episode of a show, then the ending entices viewers to want to check the next one. If this is a standalone short, then it concludes without finishing its story. It is all setup, well done, to be sure, but all set up and no payoff. The runtime is 34 minutes and change, which is plenty of time to tie up a few threads while still leaving the possibility of returning to it open. If 2 minute CGI animated films can tell complete stories, there’s no reason this cannot.

“…a Marine who’s just returned home…his world is turned upside down.”

Finale aside, this is a solid little thriller. Freeman is charismatic and likable while still being quietly intense. Singleton is terrific as she makes all watching question if she’s in danger or mentally unwell. James feels like a true friend as if he’s known Freen his entire life. The music is moody, and the editing maintains the pacing well.

Chaos is a great setup populated with engaging characters. But it doesn’t end exactly. If a series springs up out of this, then this becomes a non-issue. However, if this is all there to tell with these characters, then it’s not satisfying enough. But the cast and technical behind-the-scenes aspects are quite strong. As such, this is a 7 out of 10 for now, with the potential to be bumped up when further information clarifies how it should be taken as a whole.