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Written & Directed by A. P. Stevens
Review by Monica Jowett
Highly developed technology like Artificial Intelligence and clones have created theories of their actual existence, which The Clone Theory, a short film written and directed by A.P. Stevens, addresses.
The first short film from writer/director A.P. Stevens follows a man who has a theory on human clones. Technology is getting smarter and taking over actual life. We see the man sitting at his computer, typing away. As he finishes he rubs his hands over his face, as though fatigued by something. Narrated by Stevens in a lulling and echoing voiceover that states the conspiracy theory he believes, that human clones are real and have formed from the advanced technology we use. The clones have formed personalities based on social media and mimic human traits having watched people through their webcams.
The script, performed through the voiceover, has a clear ending though at times generates confusion in what exactly these clones are and what they do. Nevertheless the enigmatic tones of the narrator leave you wanting to find out more, and how this theory developed.
A.P. Stevens also stars in the short piece as the human, and the clone. The subtle change of white t-shirt to black t-shirt informs us of this, also symbolising the good and bad. The film consists of many close-up shots; of Stevens’ face, with his glasses reflecting the computer screen, then his hands as he types or places carefully on the table. There are very few wider shots, possibly due to space limitations. However the close ups do enhance the tense atmosphere, that is further developed through the narration and deep sounds of the music. As the clone, which is also portrayed by Stevens, he shifts his performance to show the subtle differences between human and clone, to good effect.
For the first film from Stevens, The Clone Theory is a great example of an alternate sci-fi short film. The theory the narrator puts forth could easily be developed into a longer piece and I am interested to see what else Stevens has up his sleeve.
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