Dead Boys

Three young men mourn and pay tribute to their late friend.

This short poignant drama focuses on the aftermath of a passing. It begins with three youths (Roberts, Donnelly and Tyson) at a cemetery, wearing black suits, black ties and white shirts. The funeral of a person they knew has just taken place and they are standing still, looking at his grave. They leave and go to a forest to drink beer and talk about the deceased, who was a friend. Their conversation reveals that he took his own life and one of them makes a dramatic revelation.

The screenplay explores how the three youths are dealing with the loss and follows them as they embark on a short journey after the burial, ending up in a beautiful field.Since the narrative takes place just after a funeral, the mood is mostly serious and downbeat. Although initially the three of them have sad faces, gradually they cheer up and have a few laughs.

The film could be split into two parts: one with ordinary sounds and one with only music. Approximately the first half contains only diegetic sounds. During the second half, all sounds disappear and non-diegetic music takes over, that consists of a poignant and beautiful piano melody.

McLoughlin does a great job as director and creates terrific shots of nature and the sky, and the addition of Cameron Brown's splendid cinematography makes them look even better.

Regarding the acting, all three actors deliver strong performances that add significant value to the film.

During its six-minute running time, this short packs a great deal of drama and emotions. It is a story that deals with distressing subjects such as suicide, loss and grief, however it is also about friendship, support and finding the strength to deal with events and move on.