Writer-director Joshua Paul Messarge’s short film, Going Down South, tells the tale of two brothers desperately in need of a fresh start in life.
Donnie (Andrew Sposato) and Mickey (Caleb Towns) are brothers preparing for their next job. The pair are experienced thieves and have made a science of breaking, taking, and running. Donnie, though, slips a bit when he grabs a pair of mittens instead of gloves. The distracted Donnie confesses he needs to leave his life of crime and that he is “going down south.” An upset Mickey tells him that he has only one set of skills and that there’s nothing for him if he goes it alone. The siblings put off the discussion until after their next job, but then something unexpected happens.
“…Donnie confesses he needs to leave his life of crime and that he is ‘going down south.'”
I love the fact that dramas don’t have to be overly emotional or overacted. Sometimes dramas work when very little is said. In Going Down South, our leads are forced to face the dangerous realities of their chosen profession. This message comes across brilliantly in both Sposato and Towns’ performances, not just in their delivery of dialogue but in their facial ex and use of silence.
Messarge’s story is poignant, and the filmmaker uses the thriller elements to heighten the stakes. Going Down South shows us how easy it is to get caught in the hamster wheel of life, where we repeat the same actions over and over again. It tells us that it takes something big or devastating to snap ourselves out of it.
"…poignant and the filmmaker uses the thriller elements to heighten the stakes."
