Won't Be Long Now

A new father tries to deal with manifestations of the anxiety and paranoia he feels at having to be responsible for a whole new life, descending into madness as he faces up to his responsibilities and his own childhood trauma.

In William Nawrocki’s short film, Won’t Be Long Now, he plays the Father, a regular man, somewhere in his early thirties, who has just welcomed a new baby into the family. This life-changing circumstance is now all he can think about, and everything he does is now for the benefit of this new life he and his wife have created. It doesn’t take long, however, for the reality of responsibility to kick in, and soon he is having nightmares, sometimes waking ones, where his daughter is in danger and he can’t do anything to save her.

Made almost entirely by Nawrocki himself, taking on many roles including writer, director, cinematographer, editor and star, Won’t Be Long Now was built from the ground up, piece by piece, until everything fit together in the way he envisioned. What started out as a treatment for a three-minute short grew and grew until we finally got the film we have before us today, constructed with short, quick scenes and cut intermittently with thematic visuals. Nawrocki knew that he didn’t have a lot to work with but that seems to have focused him to take what he did have and make the best of it at every turn.

Every shot, every lighting choice, every cut, and every sound is carefully chosen and measured for what it can bring to the narrative and Nawrocki brings them all together to create a genuinely unsettling atmosphere around the Father and his small family. When the shadowy visitor starts turning up in the Father’s thoughts, then in the distance, and even in old family home videos, we are caught just like he is, staring in fear at something that haunts us, but which we may never be able to confront or overcome. His fears become a reality, even though nobody else can see them, and they actively terrify character and audience alike as they come to life on the screen.

Assisted ably by some truly creepy sounds in Adrianna Krikl’s score, and a rich, vivid grading from colourist Nigel Tadyanehondo, Nawrocki ensures that we get the best out of every scene as we watch the Father slip further and further into madness. He builds his narrative well and keeps the pacing nice and quick throughout, allowing us just enough time to try and see if we can find the horrors for ourselves, but without lingering and making everything too obvious. Rather than opt for jump scares and outright horror, Nawrocki instead let’s things burn and build, throwing in thematic symbols along with the approaching ‘monster’ to round out the threat that the Father feels he is facing. All of this creates a palpable tension which is hard to resist, as it unsettles you and leaves you on the edge of your seat.

Won’t Be Long Now is a remarkable achievement for mostly just one man to produce, and it shows in the best light what can be done with small beginnings and humble resources if there is someone behind the project with heart and vision like William Nawrocki. The film takes on some truly dark subject matter and treats it with respect and dignity, using visual language to express feelings which may not easily be expressed otherwise. Nawrocki’s talent as a filmmaker, and as a visual creative, should be applauded in what he has managed to achieve with Won’t Be Long Now, and it can only be hoped that he keeps just as much passion and drive for whatever project he embarks upon next.