Fractured

Freshly released from rehab Freddy returns to the world reinvigorated. On his first day out he encounters Debbie, a fellow drug addict trapped in a harmful relationship with her predatory dealer Mike. As the pair swap stories, Freddy tries to relate his positive experience in an effort to convince the ailing Debbie to commit to rehab too.

Despite having a run time of just over ten minutes Fractured doesn’t have a lot to offer its audience. The three core characters are very thinly sketched and the film is largely populated by the stereotypes of drug addiction. There are needles in arms, a violent tracksuit-clad dealer, and mentions of sex work. Frankly, it resembles an educational video designed to be shown to teens at school. All that is missing is a graphic at the end, ‘Say NO to drugs!’.

Although the film’s content may be lacking, there is at least a sense of a filmmaker finding their eye. There is an exaggerated use of colour throughout, with bright pinks and yellows dominating frames. Strong shot-blocking and stylish low-angle framing are also present, but unfortunately, they are not enough to sustain the short.

More stereotyping scare story than empathetic drama, Fractured doesn’t do enough to enliven its characters to make for an emotionally engaging experience. The bold visuals are a considerable consolation but do not make up for the film’s thematic shortcomings.