Drowned

They say that the closest thing to war that most people ever experience is divorce. Ryan Nunes’ short film Drowned follows a couple in the aftermath of a separation, each side bearing the scars that complicate their lives as single parents in a melodramatic but moving short.

After a fight with partner Jake (Nunes) at a Christmas party, we follow Sarah (Sonya Richards) as she navigates single parenthood of her daughter Emma (Julia Little). Sarah finds motherhood overwhelming, suffering from small memory lapses that lead to big problems. After forgetting Emma’s EpiPen, Sarah and Ryan find themselves in an emotional confrontation – where bitterness, anger and unresolved fractures explode into the open.

Drowned tackles difficult questions about parenthood and divorce with a considerate tone and a careful hand. Ryan Nunes constructs characters with depth and reality, asking his audience to empathise with both parties of the divorce and engage with their qualities and their flaws as real people, rather than cutout characters. Jake’s outburst at Sarah feels aggressive at first, but his own struggles that originate in the breakdown of their relationship mean audiences will be able to understand his exasperation in a moment where he fears for the safety of his daughter. Similarly, the time we spend with Sarah where we see how her mental and physical condition lead to daily struggles just in her own life lead us give her grace naturally. It fits perfectly with the film’s message – that parenthood can be unconventional but is always easier shared, even in ways that we may not see firsthand.

At times the film dials the melodrama up to 11, in moments that are emotional but a little awkwardly bulldozed into the story. The performers discard any sense of nuance in favour of amped-up cry-shouting. When appropriate this can be the crescendo of finely built dramatic tension that ensures no eye in the house is left dry. But rushed, and it feels like dramatic overkill – the acting equivalent of using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. There is no doubt that both Ryan Nunes and Sonya Richards are excellent at portraying a breakdown. But the place of the pivotal exchange involving the EpiPen feels rushed in the context of the narrative. Whilst it is possible to imagine real parents reacting this way, the storytelling of the film makes the moment feel a little unearned, particularly seeing as it is a trigger for the two finding common ground in what is the climax of the film.

The film looks crisp and professional with some interesting using of lighting – which ‘drowns’ out of the screen as Sarah’s desperation grows throughout the film. Nunes’ direction is also solid enough, knowing how to present Sarah as someone finding life more and more difficult and unhinged whilst her former partner becomes an invading entity (Nunes’ way of presenting his own character in the film who uncomfortably throws off the focus and balance is a particular highlight).

Whilst Drowned is imperfect structurally and will not pull up any trees when it comes to storytelling around parenthood (its release close to the dazzlingly original If I Had Legs I’d Kick You not helping in this regard), it is a solid enough effort from director, writer and star Ryan Nunes and his team which will speak to people navigating parenthood or even just those who have ever felt isolated when dealing with an imperceivable task.