Dweller

Following a global destruction, a man's life inside a bunker gets interrupted by the arrival of a woman.

A worlwide catastrophy took place, spreading death throughout the world. Pete (Harvey) has managed to survive for years by living by himself inside a secured bunker. His quiet life comes to an end when a woman named Sophie (Birley) enters the bunker. Strange occurrences begin to take place and it becomes apparent that something sinister is inside the bunker with them. Pete and Sophie must work together in order to deal with the menace and remain alive.

A rather intriguing sci-fi thriller that is set in a post-apocalyptic world. Although the whole narrative takes place inside the bunker (it was filmed entirely inside a decomissioned Cold War Nuclear Bunker), the screenplay and mise-en-scene effectively create the impression that the events are happening after a global destruction. The two protagonists are rather different people and the only ones in the film. The core of the script is tha rapport that develops between Sophie and Pete, who spend a great deal of time trying to get information from each other, while simultaneously attempting to understand the bizarre events that proceed to take place inside the reinforced shelter, shortly after Sophies's arrival. These events include machines operating by themselves and a chilling sound that indicates that some sort of menacing creature is nearby. The suspense is plentiful and there is tension and interesting plot twists.

Both Sophie and Pete make interesting protagonists, although Sophie comes across as much more friendly, an intelligent and caring woman who recognises right from wrong. Pete is less likeable, being unfriendly, refusing to trust others and swearing quite often.

As mentioned, the whole story unfolds inside the bunker and the mise-en-scene includes computers, communication devices, intriguing clothing and weapons. Jonathan Brown deserves commendations for the stunning cinematography and praise also goes to the creativity that went into the stylised letters during the credits.

Regarding the audio, the sound effects are cool and the music by Michael McGeoch is ominous and electronic and it is one of the film's strongest aspects.

This short is a half-an-hour-long story that sort of resembles the first Alien film. However this is more than a post-apocalyptic science fiction story about survival, it is an emotional journey about morality, survivor's guilt, self-reflection, trust and selfishness. Very well-acted and with a screenplay that lays great emphasis on character development, this film is an impressive achievement.