alexjames96
- Jun 26, 2023
- 2 min read

The Family Man Short Film Review

★★★★★

Directed by: #JoshuaBlewitt and #VeltonJLishke

Starring: #NikkiHelens, #VeltonJLishke, #DanniShepherd, #ConnorWyse, #LucyMizen

The Family Man is a film loaded with dark secrets, pain, and fear. However, instead of a ‘family man,’ stepfather and husband Roger is far from the loving and protective figure many of us envision to be a part of the family unit. As the story develops, we uncover a whole load of deep and terrible secrets which are buried within the home that should remain hidden. Directed by Joshua Blewitt and Velton J.Lishke this short was twisty, suspenseful and left the audience open mouthed by the finale.

The Family Man opens with wife Jane having a friendly chat with her neighbour, everything seems relatively normal, until she notices her husband Roger staring out the window at a girl walking down the street. Her face changes completely and she ends the small talk with her neighbour. Roger comes across as respectable and calm mannered, he clearly has a loving relationship with his wife and works extremely hard throughout the day, or that is how it appears. It was great that this short film had a constant suspicion surrounding the characters. There was this need to analyse certain behaviours to build the narrative and keep us guessing. It was brilliant that this climactic twist remained a secret until the bitter end, keeping you on the edge of your seat.

The actors fit the character roles perfectly, the audience were met with a stereotypical family circle. Mum, stepdad, and moody daughter who was embarrassed by her parents. On the surface, they appeared ‘normal’ until daughter Claire invites her new boyfriend over for dinner and Roger is unable to hide his anger as conversation turns to the missing girl that has bombarded news recently. This scene turned the whole narrative on its head and raised more questions about Roger’s behaviour and this rage that seemed to have come out of nowhere. Velton Lishke who played the character was passionate and managed to create this monster with the façade of a kind and doting husband. He added a lot of energy to the film, his presence within each scene certainly made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end as there was this underlining anger and hatred which was suppressed within, and no one was sure when this would explode.

The Family Man is a great film with edge and raw emotion, if you’re looking for a cuddly, wholesome family film then this is not the one for you! This horror/thriller will keep you guessing until the end and focuses on a man fighting with two personalities, one of which should remain behind closed doors and never be let out!