Lost in Time

A psychological drama feature directed by Henry Colin, written by Colin and Paul Kimball and starring Alexa Morden and Holly Stevens. This film is based on the play Doing Time by Kimball and Mac Tonnies.

What is the plot? Well, that might be tricky to explain without spoilers, however one way to do it would be by saying that the story concentrates on a young woman, Leda (Morden), who invites her friend (Stevens) to her home during Christmas. Following some strange occurrences relating to time travel, Leda is shown inside a large room, in which she has apparently been living in for centuries.

The screenplay begins as a light-hearted story about two friends getting together for the festivities and things take a sinister turn when Leda is inside an unknown, darkened room, from she cannot leave and her friend (the unnamed character played by Stevens) frequently visits her, although the situation between them is very different, with Leda not knowing what is going on, while her friend seems to be aware of the situation. The plot is quite a mystery, with Leda being inside a room that she has not left for what is suggested to be centuries and things are further complicated by a radio with static noise, other-worldly bright lights and a painting decpicting a beach. The action moves between Leda's home, covered in Christmas decorations, a beach and the bizarre room, where the vast majority of the story takes place. The script focuses on the verbal interactions between Leda and her friend, primarily Leda trying to figure out what is going on. Is the situation real or is it all in her head? The explanation is mind-blowing and moves things towards sci-fi territory. Colin utilises multiple long takes throughout and the creative use of lighting creates a mysterious and unsettling atmosphere and so does the music by Nick Piovesan.

The pace is slow, however that is not a negative quality, as this film is not story-driven, but rather prioritises the themes that will be analysed below and Leda's efforts to comprehend what is happening.

Leda and her friend are the only characters in this feature and both Morden and Stevens deliver strong performances. Leda appears to be lost in numerous ways. She does not know where she is or even who she is. She does not have any memories and she struggles to find out what is taking place or even if what she is experiencing (being trapped in a strange room with her friend) is actually real or just a dream. She does not know herself and desperately tries to change that. Stevens basically plays two characters: one being a friendly young woman during the Christmas holidays and the other being rather different, a calm and pretty much emotionless person who primarily serves as a listener to Leda's thoughts.

The subjects in this strange story have a lot to do with things surrounding existence in general, such as what reality is and what truth is. Furthermore, self-awareness plays a key part and the screenplay also looks into humanity's flaws.

While some find a story that moves slowly unappealing, this film offers a dramatic and thought-provoking experience. Beautifully shot and fantastically acted, this feature is worthy of praise.