Uncle Tommy

A short drama, written and directed by Jack McLoughlin and starring Max Ainsworth, AJ Jones, Sarah-Louise Chadwick and Matthew Mora Hegarty.

Schoolboy Mikey (McLoughlin) is skipping school and when he arrives home, he is greeted by an unexpected visitor, that being his uncle (the titular Tommy, played by Jones), who has travelled here from his home abroad and entered the property via an unlocked door. After Tommy lies to a visiting, concerned teacher (Hegarty) that the youngster is not home, the two of them catch up and play some video games and discuss some of Mikey's issues. Then, Mikey's mum (Chadwick) arrives, resulting in further dramatic revelations.

This ten-minute-long story begins lightheartedly, with Tommy and his nephew having a laugh and relaxing, before things move towards Mikey's lack of motivation and mental health and Tommy's unpleasant situation. Significant drama ensues, with close-ups being utilised to catch the character's emotions. The screenplay explores the characters' relationship with each other and reveals their struggles.

Ainsworth portrays a typical teenager: naive and irresponsible, who performs well as a student but cannot get himself to commit to academic achievements and keeps cutting class. Additionally, he is also struggling with his mental health. Chadwick plays Mikey's mother, a responsible, no-nonsense parent who is also willing to help. As for Tommy, he is a well-meaning guy who cares about those around him, unfortunately though, appears to be unable to pull himself together and constantly finds himself in trouble.

Through a narrative that operates as a nephew-and-uncle, mother-and-son and brother-and-sister story, this film looks into themes involving mental health, self-reflection, support and family values.

A short moving drama that looks into a family's issues. It has its cheerful moments, however, primarily, it aims to be serious with the heavy subjects that it brings to the surface.