Writer-director Jackson Mirmina’s Henchmen drops us right into a life-and-death moment. We start with the aftermath of a losing battle between the world’s greatest assassin (Kennedy Jennings) and a crew of henchmen. Only Jimmy (Erik Walker Neill) and James (Leonard J. Moore II) are left alive, though barely. As the assassin completes a final sweep of the carnage, our two survivors lament how their lives are changed forever. Jimmy just had his kneecaps blown out, and James got shot through his Kevlar vest at point-blank range.
“…two henchmen who struggle to survive an assassin’s bullet.”
This comedic short is nice and tidy, with sharp-witted dialogue between two henchmen who struggle to survive an assassin’s bullet. Sure, action films are all about the main baddie and the unsuspecting hero, but Henchmen lifts the veil on the nameless and faceless support staff. They are just guys with friends and families of their own, after all.
Henchmen runs a brief 5 minutes and plays out more like a comedy sketch with a setup and punchline than an in-depth treatment. Mirmina does excellent work inserting high-action flashbacks using fast cuts to get the point across quickly. Ultimately, this is funny and fun and may brighten a very bad day.
"…funny and fun..."
