In director Nic Barker’s short film Worth, a kidnapping couple messes with the wrong guy. Kyle (Dean Kirkright) and Cassandra (Calista Fooks) think they’ll kidnap the daughter, Erika (Sarah Spaven), of a wealthy man (John McCullough), demand ransom, and all will work out golden. Except the man whose daughter they kidnapped isn’t the most cooperative type.
But that’s the simplistic summation, of course. The short film manages to be more than just some unsuspecting kidnappers getting surprised by those they’re trying to victimize. Instead it’s a complex drama, with a couple turns you don’t remotely suspect.
And it looks great too. While I’m tempted to use the word “slick” here, I don’t want you to think that I’m describing a visual style so much as the appreciated polish of professional filmmakers. Everyone behind-the-scenes knows what they’re doing, as do the few actors tasked with bringing the story to light. The result is quality all-around.
If I have a criticism, it’s that I would’ve liked even more information on the characters involved, as while I appreciated the overall tale, I didn’t quite connect with them. That doesn’t mean character motivations and revelations don’t entirely resonate, but it definitely feels like there could be much more to this story to allow for more engagement. Then again, perhaps too much of a good thing would result in muddying everything to the point of being ineffective. It works quite well as is, and the extra hand-holding may be ultimately unnecessary.
In the end, if you like your crime dramas short, strong and with a few quality narrative turns, then Worth is the film for you.
This film was submitted for review through our Submission for Review system. If you have a film you’d like us to see, and we aren’t already looking into it on our own, you too can utilize this service.
