Watcher

The writer-director Ivo Bright likes to follow his passion of filmmaking and explores the genre of crime with a well-knit script that evokes a sense of fear and isolation in the minds of the audience hence hooking them with the content with the help of the protagonist Raheem (Samad OluKunle).

The plot of the short film revolves around Raheem and his friends who are trying hard at convincing him that someone watching and following them. The only hang-up is, Raheem does not believe it thinking that his friends are winding him up and they are growing confident that the watcher is getting closer with every passing minute.

Watcher opens with a black screen along with an eerie background sound followed by the title of the film establishing the subject matter of the film. The DOP Cassius Kane utilises the combination of a series of tracking shots, mid-shots and close-up shots allowing the viewers to interact with the characters and be involved from the very beginning. The bluish-black colour palette, dim lighting, set design, dialogue, costume, hair, and make-up complements the concept and adds the element of realism to the same.

In terms of performance, Samad OluKunle plays Raheem who believes in what he sees. OluKunle understands the nuances and portrays the multi-layered character with the right mix of emotions and logic as per various situations in the screenplay.

Tyreke Leslie plays the role of Raheem’s friend who spots the mysterious being for the very first time in the film. Leslie manages to establish an emotional connection with the audience due to his dialogue delivery, voice modulation, and facial expressions, and the comic timing is on point. Leslie has a very strong screen presence and therefore he can ensure to provide the desired push to the narrative when necessary.

Watcher talks about building such strong bonds that no stranger can break all the ties and walk away. Trust is the most important element in a friendship or any relationship, especially when going through tough patches or hardships. The short film reiterates that mental peace and well-being becomes crucial and sharing how one feels with family and friends helps combat and emerge victorious. The psychological thriller restates that one shouldn’t always go for a physical fight especially if one does not know about the enemy and analyse all possible repercussions of the action one takes. The crime drama tells its audience that it is very good to be self-reliant but one cannot ignore the value of friends as well as loved ones and regret it in the latter stage of life. Watcher discusses that there is nothing wrong with staying true to one’s emotions and listening to those who care in the hope of a better future. The short film tells its audience the significance of unconditional love and support are the bonus elements required to make friendship deeper and stronger over the years.