Extension Short Film Review

alexjames96
Aug 21
2 min read

★★★★

Extension, a short film directed by Guy Pearson and starring Andrew Hodgson, is a documentary style film recorded entirely in black and white and follows one man and the passion he has for his ‘project.’ The audience are kept completely in the dark about what this project is and can only make small assumptions about what it can be, however, I can assure you that you are all wrong! This is a short comedy that I found sweet and amusing, I loved the ambiguity that surrounded the film and became fascinated by the protagonist. Just your everyday northern bloke sharing his daily activities and how he enjoys his spare time. A simple, funny and fantastic film that leans into its absurdness to create something that is truly unique.

The simplicity of this short is an element to really appreciate, as the protagonist speaks about how he gathers materials for his project and friends and family that have helped with supplies, you cannot help but see him as an extremely likeable character. Instantly the audience are drawn into his world and even though we are merely following him through the forest gathering wood and explaining what pieces can be used, you can’t help but want to learn more about his life. He seems like a humble character with simple pleasures and his fascination with this project makes us think and wonder what exactly he is working on. The typical answers, perhaps a tree house, a sculpture or maybe a piece of furniture, nothing can quite prepare you for what the project really is. Certainly, it’s the ridiculousness to this film that makes it funny and engaging, the small twist to this piece is a great element and shows a very creative and fun side that many will be amused by.

Having researched the making of this film a bit further, I discovered that the ending to this piece was not the original. Due to unforeseen circumstances, there was lost footage and a lot of effort to try and recover what had vanished. Instead, a whole new ending had to be created which is very unlike the original. I think this is what you call a very happy accident, because even though the story may not be as envisioned, occasionally, this new path fits perfectly and turns out to be a surprise, but a good one! For a documentary style film, I really enjoyed how natural Andrew Hodgson was on screen, his persona and relaxed approach in front of the camera made the ending that much more of the perfect twist. Alongside the graininess of the footage, it appeared as though it had just been found or home footage, which kept the audience in the dark right until the end and the reveal of the project was so much more unexpected and certainly brought a bigger chuckle as well.