Admittedly simple in its ways, but still very fascinating, “High Winds” is a nearly silent short thriller about an assassin whose career has finally managed to catch up with him and now he must flee from his comfort zone and high tail it out of his home. Freddy Ly is believable as an assassin whose last hit means he must go on the lam, and seeks to do so as quickly as he can. He collects his money, and with his dog by his side books it. Ly’s direction is beautiful with one long shot of the main character stripping down and swimming in a lake which in many ways becomes an allegory for this character purifying himself and his soul before exiting back in to hell once more to do what he has to to survive. The cinematography is gorgeous with his brief stop becoming a peek in to salvation that he can’t remain in and then having this character go back to the confines of his profession along with his dog. “High Winds” ends on a basic low note and question mark leaving everything up to suggestion, but is meaningful as a portrait of a character on an endless road to hell whether he likes it or not.
