This film bills itself as a “short film noir,” but a better description would be “short, arty film noir.” It doesn’t really succeed as true noir, but it does keep viewers interested up to the end … which turns out to be a bit of a disappointment.
The story involves two people who have sex in a hotel room. Someone is dead. Someone later dies. Why? After watching it, you still won’t know. There is no real characterization, and what little dialogue there is doesn’t reveal much. Is the female (Michiko Jimenez) a sadistic serial killer, or is she some sort of spy? Is “Johny” (Shane Ryan) her boyfriend, or some guy she just met? Who is the corpse? I have theories, but the film isn’t solid enough to support them all that well.
Writer/director Shane Ryan has made a film heavy on atmosphere but little else. It is intriguing enough, however, to warrant a slight recommendation. If open-ended, arthouse noir films are your thing, consider this something to add to your “See it When I Have Some Spare Time” list.
