Outcry

In P.M. Lipscomb’s short film, Outcry, an aging man plans a special dinner to commemorate the anniversary of his first date with his late wife…just not sure a noose hanging in the garage is the right way to end a romantic night.

For Neil (Mike Starr), it’s not easy growing older and alone after the passing of his longtime wife. So looking to recreate one of his most fond memories, Neil goes online to an escort website, seeking a young woman who looks like his late wife when they first met. That’s where Bambi (Tara Marci) comes in. Her “company” for the night runs at a reasonable rate, but after Googling Neil’s affluent location, Bambi enlists Billy (Dashiell Connery) to rob Neil at the opportune moment.

“…goes online to an escort website, seeking a young woman who looks like his late wife…”

When Bambi arrives, Neil has her put on his wife’s dress from their first date and partake in a spaghetti dinner created from his beloved’s special spaghetti sauce recipe. Meanwhile, Bambi looks for an opportunity to let Billy into the home. Unfortunately, the night soon spirals out of control when Neil finds himself at the wrong end of Billy’s gun.

Outcry is also a story of redemption and needed to lean hard into the story element. I would also like to have seen that exact moment of clarity in both Neil and Bambi turned up in intensity from a six to a nine or ten to nail hard that moment of change for full emotional effect.

Minor quibbles aside, writer/director P.M. Lipscomb tells a sweet story of second chances and fresh starts. It doesn’t matter what stage of life you find yourself or even if you find yourself in the middle of a senseless crime, redemption can be found. Outcry has a big heart behind its story and at a time when the world needs heart the most.