Pale Luna

The green colour font utilised for the title of the short film provides a sense of mystery, suspense, thrill, and drama to warn the audience against tapping into something that one shouldn’t through the journey of the protagonist Michael Nevins (Daryl Hrdlicka).

The plot of Pale Luna revolves around a man who discovers a computer game from his college days in the 80’s while looking for a book and decides to play it. That was a big mistake.

The film opens with a long shot of a house with calming background music quickly transitioning to a conversation between a father and daughter to allow the viewers to get involved with the characters therefore emotionally connecting with the movie. The use of floppy, the format of the game, the old model of the computer, and the continuous switch between the present as well as the era of the 80’s with the help of flashbacks provides a sense of nostalgia and realism in the minds of the audience as the dramatic piece establishes its subject matter. The set design, colour palette, lighting, location, dialogues, costumes, hair, and makeup have been kept natural and keeps changing as per the demand of the script.

In terms of performance, Daryl Hrdlicka plays Michael Nevins a loving dad who likes to stay close to his roots and also seeks some adventure in his life. Hrdlicka with his portrayal showcases a range of emotions as well as physical movements during the outing in the jungle. The senior actor as Michael Nevins highlights the dedication and desire to live life to the fullest is inspiring.

Toria Bayer lends her voice as Nevin’s daughter helps build up the mood of the movie and gives the desired push to the pace of the film so that it manages to keep the audience hooked to the content up until the climax.

Pale Luna talks about the importance of memories but people should not let their present be negatively impacted by them as peace of mind and happiness are two elements truly essential for a healthy life. The horror film reiterates that addiction at any age can prove to be detrimental and the harm is irreversible most of the time. The cinematic piece reminds the audience regarding abiding by all their duties and responsibilities of society no matter what. The creative piece tells us that adventure is a good element to add to the mundane daily routine but we should analyse the pros and cons of the same before going ahead with it. Pale Luna states that age is only a number if one decides to concentrate on the positive aspects and learn to deal with the problems. The short film also talks about taking control of their lives, listening to everyone but doing what is beneficial for them and their loved ones is a mantra to be fllowed to cut down on the stress.

I want to appreciate the director Doug Gerash and writer Daryl Hrdlicka for the concept. The makers give the film an open-ended closure allowing the audience to interpret the film as per their understanding and the very aspect also lets the movie stay with the viewers after they have finished watching it.