How do you make an action movie with no money? Prove that you can bring the intensity without any action. Fingers crossed. Hopefully, the money will follow. That’s precisely what Pat Bradley does in his short film, Double Zero.
This particular short exists as proof of concept of a crime drama percolating in the mind of writer and director Bradley. Double Zero features two young women, Olivia (Caroline Anderson) and Diana (Vivian Belosky), trying to figure out their next step after pulling off a heist gone wrong for crime boss Alvara (Jamie Ragusa). The problem is our pair of robbers were robbed, and Alvara is pissed.
In the blink of an eye, Olivia and Diana are bound and gagged in an undisclosed location. Alvara demands to know the whereabouts of her money, and she engages them in a game of Russian Roulette to see which one will squeal. Do either of them even know the truth of what happened? Will they reveal if they do?
“…she engages them in a game of Russian Roulette to see which one will squeal.”
Double Zero does everything I like to see in an indie thriller short. It’s engaging from start to finish. The script starts slowly by building sympathy with our protagonists and revealing a bit about their character and their soon-to-be-achieved dreams after this one last job. Then snap, our heroines are in danger.
Bradley ratchets up the intensity and raises the stakes for Liv and Diana’s survival with an unhinged Alvara and a pistol with a single bullet in the chamber. From here, it’s all about figuring out how the duo will get out of this potentially life-ending situation.
Double Zero is a beautifully crafted thriller. Bradley keeps the action moving, and our three leads give wonderful performances that feel authentic, especially when playing with guns and danger.
For more information about Double Zero, visit Pat Bradley’s official website.
"…ratchets up the intensity and raises the stakes..."
