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★★★★
Directed by: Phil Dunn
Written by: Phil Dunn
Starring: Joshua Griffin, Shaun Mason, Ellie Piercy, Derek Elroy
Exploring themes of love and hate, the short film The Stupid Boy by #filmmaker Phil Dunn is a powerful and affecting drama. It stars Shaun Mason as Stephen - a young man with a tragic background being groomed for a white supremacist group operating in London, and Joshua Griffin as teenage schoolboy Michael whose unique perspective of the world and unusual behaviour sees him as a target for bullies. The short film culminates in these two characters colliding.
When grappling with such competing ideas of characters fuelled by hate and those being overtly kind, it can be difficult to avoid the audience becoming alienated. Dunn makes sure all his characters feel believable and relatable. Even Stephen’s growing rage is founded on a harrowing backstory of parental abuse and we are also given moments where he struggles, such as dropping a cup on the floor. This eschews villainous caricature in favour of something more empathetic, even with the rising sense of dread the viewer will feel if they have been clocking the signposts throughout the short movie.
For some, it will be Michael’s journey that feels more special and intriguing, however. From his opening scene looking through an upside-down periscope at his street outside to essentially rugby tackling a new teacher with a greetings hug, his warm and inquisitive nature makes him an instantly likeable character and one that an audience is going to care for and indeed worry about. Even his parents seem to have differing viewpoints on how to approach the way the world treats someone like Michael. When it becomes apparent he had an altercation with a boy at school, his mother (Ellie Piercy) labels it bullying, whilst, after hearing Michael’s version of events, his father (Derek Elroy) simply states the boy is probably just not his friend.
The Stupid Boy is packed with impressive #filmmaking, including one strong sequence involving an upside-down camera in a busy London market. The film makes use of numerous locations and additional supporting characters without every feeling baggy. In fact, it’s one of the tightest short films, telling what is actually two rather large stories at once and all within fifteen minutes. A powerful score accompanies the majority of the film and is particularly effective in the gripping final scene (no spoilers here).
To deliver such an eclectic mix of emotional experiences for the viewer in such a short film is a massive achievement. The Stupid Boy, through its wonderfully written central characters, explores our vulnerabilities and strengths which often get caught in the crossfire when manipulated by others but can also be our, and others, salvation when used purposefully.
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