Jake, the failure

A young man reflects on his struggling life.

Jake (Rexha) is a youth who has high ambitions but has reached an emotional rock bottom. He is a wannabe scriptwriter and is having a hard time becoming that. Having sacrificed everything to pursue his dream, he now works as a parking attendant and repeatedly tries to get his work noticed. Eventually, he gives up on everything, believes that he is no good and decides that there is only one thing to do.

This short drama works like a montage with Rexha's voice-over guiding the viewer through his life. The narrative is nonlinear, with many brief scenes show what he is up to and his thoughts reveal how he views life and the world. The viewer sees him working as a parking attendant while working on scripts, presenting them to potential buyers, however without success. There are also flashbacks of his former happy relationship with his girlfriend (Arrington). The narration explains that failure to fulfil his wishes has landed him in a dark place with no hope.

The protagonist's thoughts are rather distressing and pessimistic. He has come to the conclusion that people going after their dreams is pointless and destroys their lives. He also believes that ultimately, every person is forgotten. All these beliefs have led him to conclude that life is meaningless and that there is no point in going on.

The wonderful cinematography deserves big commendations, courtesy of Thomas Hubbel and the beautiful and sentimental music by Tiko Lasola and Samuel Andrew Garcia is a great feature and the song True Love Will Find You in the End by Priscilla Ahn was a perfect choice.

This is a moving story about a person who has lost all hope. It is not a pleasant viewing, however it is an important one that explores the ways people feel about their choices and mistakes and it also addresses mental health issues and suicidal tendencies. The film is quite upsetting and filled with negative thoughts, although the ending appears to offer hope.