Deadline

I tend to enjoy movies and television that can turn the seemingly mundane into something intense or captivating, much like the classic series The Twilight Zone did so often (such as it being a hot summer day, but not just any day now, the world is ending because it’s moving closer to the sun). Writer/director Nick Rua’s short film Deadline does just that, by following a commercial video editor named Ben (Ben Bradley), who has an annoying technical computer error preventing him from coming home to his increasingly impatient wife. As the ten-and-a-half-minute film goes on, the tension rises when much more goes wrong than just a simple computer glitch.

“…the tension rises when much more goes wrong than just a simple computer glitch…”

Ben Bradley is pitch perfect as a husband who has the growing frustration of just trying to finish his job and keeping his wife happy at the same time (which as many married men can attest is something that can escalate into a bigger dilemma when you get home). Ben is relatable, and the audience can feel the slight needle pricks every time that his wife sends a direct message and isn’t getting the answers that she desires.

The big twist of Deadline is dark and sudden, with a fun touch of irony that reminds me so much of those indelible Rod Sterling episodes. I especially enjoyed how the thrill element starts off small with the computer/wife issue, but then takes a gigantic leap with a situation that is still believable. I look forward to what Rua and crew do next, because he has the tools to be able to ratchet up the intensity when he needs to.