I Must Go On

It's always thrilling to check out small, independent films and see genuine talent and passion on display, and discover filmmakers who clearly have lots of potential and who you'd like to see go on to do bigger things. That will likely be the viewer's experience with I Must Go On, a very small and very independent short film directed by Mart van den Heuvel (his first short film) and starring Glenn Tordeurs as the film's only character. This seven-minute film was inspired by the director's own experiences with OCD and the “call of the void”, and he stated that “the element of frustration plays a crucial part in it”.

The film’s narrative is limited and simple, and it doesn’t really do anything particularly unexpected. With that said, I Must Go On is undeniably engaging throughout its very short runtime. The whole thing moves along at a solid, confident pace and the technical elements are pretty outstanding for a film of this size. It’s shot well, and the lighting, colour grading, sound design and editing are all very solid. It’s all done skilfully, and it makes you want to see what this crew could do with bigger, longer films. Additionally, although the film doesn’t require an awful lot of him overall, Glenn Tordeurs is strong as the film’s single character.

Crucially, Van den Heuvel has crafted a film that does a great job of shining a light on OCD and the frustrations that come with it. The film puts you in the shoes of its character and allows you to see things through his eyes, and it conveys his struggles with an impressive amount of clarity. Admirably, the film is able to make an important point about mental health in just seven minutes - that’s an achievement that can’t be ignored.

I Must Go On is a very small and stripped-down short film, but it’s technically strong, skilfully made, and decently powerful. Van den Heuvel succeeded in creating something that looks at this particular topic in an effective way, and it’s the type of film that could be used to raise awareness about it. At the same time, it’s a display of impressive work from people who were clearly passionate about what they were creating, and that’s always wonderful to see in a film that’s this small and independent. Everyone involved brought their A-game, and if Van den Heuvel’s intention was to create something that allows the viewer to see things through its character’s eyes and clearly present these struggles in a way that allows the audience to understand them the best they can, then he did an undeniably solid job.