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★★★★
Directed by: #KamilaTarabura
Written by: #NinaLewandowska
Starring: #AgnieszkaRajda, #NelKaczmarek, #KamilaBaar, #FilipOrliński, #PiotrŁukaszczyk
Krysia, a teenage girl, leaves her home for the first time in weeks. At a party, she runs into Majka. The two girls slip away and set off on a journey that proceeds at a dizzying pace.
I guess the one thing I can take from Tarabura’s Into The Night is that, though sometimes landing you in a bit of a predicament, being spontaneous can make you feel alive again. This new short film from the assistant director of (what most consider a cult classic) High Life takes us on a spiralling coming of age journey through the eyes of Krysia, most wonderfully performed by Agnieszka Rajda. Like most films in this genre, it takes a simplistic story but places its core focus on the complicated, budding relationship between Krysia and high-tempered Majka (Nel Kaczmarek).
The film does a nice job of introducing us to Krysia, with scenes of her mother picking clothes for her to wear, and sending her off to a birthday party, providing the notion of a dominating mother/daughter bond. Forced into this situation, as an introverted teen, Krysia decides to leave the party with Majka, who had just stormed out after an argument. Following this are moments of joy, fear, adrenaline, love and friendship. Krysia’s internal arc across the 23 minutes (not including credits) is a pleasant surprise.
The two go to a roadside store, steal alcohol, meet some teenage boys, and join them at a different party across town. The drama escalates as you’d expect, but where the two end up in the final scene is fitting. The tone set throughout is consistent, and the cinematography is stunning. I’m not sure on the budget but this certainly doesn’t look cheap, and the locations and music add the feeling of a small Hollywood feature, like something coming from the studio A24. All of the performances are fantastic and feel very real. The two leads are phenomenal young actors — for one of them their debut — with biting personalities and textured characters, thanks to the writing by Nina Lewandowska.
Into The Night won’t wow you with some deep, thought-provoking story, but it does provide a very good portrayal of what growing up as a teen is like, and I think thats very universal experience, so anyone can find enjoyment in this short.
Watch the trailer for Into The Night below:
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