With Arms Raised

Jon Cvack’s With Arms Raised is a thrilling short film set around a fateful car ride. A taxi driver navigates a man in the midst of a breakdown, in a gripping tale powered by the twin crises of mental health and gun violence in America.

Jonathan Wallace’s driver picks up his passenger (Andrew Garrett) for a journey that quickly becomes uncomfortable. Spotting that the passenger’s demeanour is off, the driver tries to keep things casual. They find some common ground over their shared Chicago heritage, but as the passenger begins to focus on his disdain for the homeless, the driver senses his motivations may be sinister.

A viewer’s first watch of With Arms Raised is one that will mesmerise, as the unpredictable and erratic musings of the passenger weave both the driver and the audience on a string. Director and writer Cvack manages to brilliantly recreate dialogue of a disturbed person. Garrett’s passenger is a man whose intentions are unclear until the very final moments, and through his interactions with the driver audiences will be left with conflicting feelings around the character. His demeanour is one that presents as threatening and vengeful, yet Garrett allows just enough sensitivity through to suggest that he yearns for some sort of connection to grasp to. Mental health rarely presents in simple ways, and both the character’s construction and Garrett’s performance are an excellent representation of this.

Praise is also deserved of Jonathan Wallace, a cab driver just trying to get through his shift who suddenly finds himself in an uncomfortable situation. His instincts immediately tell him that something is wrong in his backseat, but efforts to maintain cordiality leads to him agreeing with some of the passenger’s simmering attacks. As these grow more vicious, he is torn between resistance and tolerance, unsure as to whether it is worth pushing back against someone who is clearly not all there. Similar to Garrett, he captures the essence and purpose of the character, who represents societal uncertainty of how to deal with mentally ill people.

Cvack’s direction also shines – confining the viewer in the cab close to the characters to create a claustrophobic effect. Much of the film is spent in unbalanced close ups of the passenger, as he rants and seethes over his perceived injustices. This becomes contrasted by calmer portrayals of the driver, who stays level despite the growing threat behind him. The contrasts here are obvious, but an interesting directorial choice is that the passenger is visible (if restricted) in many of the shots with the driver. It seems to say that those who are unafflicted can still see those struggling, even if we try to look away. Treating these people like they don’t exist will only lead to tragedy, especially ones who cannot see outside their own fractured minds.

With Arms Raised is a fantastic and memorable short, and whilst its ending may seem a little predictable, its snapshot of the mental health crisis in the US is one that is authentic and considered.