Backflip

Written by and starring Emmanuel JD Simon and directed by Lee J Ramirez, short film Backflip is a positive story of personal triumph over familial tragedy. 

Jerome (Emmanuel JD Simon) is a young man haunted by the ghost of his father, who was a professional gymnast. The movie opens with Jerome psyching himself up to perform a backflip while his childish “friends” (Michael Lee and Sam “Lanks” Thompson) look on and film his attempt. After spectacularly failing and twisting his ankle, his friends leave him on the floor in agony until Jerome’s mother (Sonia Audrey Ferreira) comes to his rescue. We are then immersed in Jerome’s journey as he determinedly practices his skills to achieve his dream of performing a backflip. 

The story is an uplifting if familiar one, giving the audience a classic cinema trope of one character’s struggle to overcome a physical challenge (see any sports movie). Jerome is a likeable character for the viewer to connect with, and his penchant for breaking into rap segments keeps the movie feeling fresh and urban. 

The themes of chasing your dreams, choosing whether to follow in your father’s footsteps, and focusing on your own growth rather than the viewpoint of your critics are all admirable and worth exploring. It’s a shame they get undermined somewhat during the film by the far-fetched happenings; such as two fathers laughing and leaving Jerome on the floor in pain because they have the school run, or Jermone childishly remonstrating with himself on a trampoline for very nearly, but not quite, completing a backflip. 

Whilst the film has its heart in the right place, it’s tonally messy. The stakes are pretty low, and yet the sound design would have you believe this is a crime thriller. Likewise, the melodramatic performances are at odds with the fairly simple plot. Whilst the music scenes are good, they can also feel a little crowbarred in, and the part where his mum joins in is mortifying to watch. Jerome spends a lot of the short film talking to the audience and telling us everything that’s going on in his head, which helps with connection but renders the experience redundant. 

Many of Backflip’s frustrating elements were well within their control (i.e. not budget-related). A stronger story was required, the performances needed to be toned down, and the dialogue should have been far less contrived. It’s a good start for the indie filmmakers and shows some promise in certain areas, but there are a lot of aspects that need fine-tuning. A less-is-more approach to the dialogue would be a start, and a more compelling story is definitely needed.