We all want to get away from it all sometimes, but for Neal (Sowerbutts), going for a weekend break with his elder brother (Lawrence) and his partner (Mounter) is already too stressful. The siblings don’t get along, and Neal could really do without the constant barbs and irritations. The group set up camp on a remote beach, expecting nothing out of the ordinary.
Looking for some solitude, he wanders across the shore and makes a disturbing discovery among the seaweed, something that disturbs the group. When he’s forced by his brother Jack to return the item but then finds something that changes his attitude.
Sumptuously filmed by Jordan Ford, this is a brooding, atmospheric short (well, mid-length short at 27mins) that manages to captivate the viewer and create a sense of unease. That awkwardness also comes from being an observer in the tension between the brothers and certainly during a ‘heart-to-heart’ moment in which family skeletons are laid bare.
Writer/director Bousfield has given us an interesting premise, but it’s one that perhaps needs a feature-length script to fully explore, as we’re just beginning to be absorbed into the proceedings when it’s all over. Less is more, we guess. The cast are superb, and the location (Joss Bay in Kent) is gloriously windswept and secluded, making the viewer almost feel the biting breeze and sea spray. It’s an engaging short with a few surprises and is worth checking out if you have the chance.
GHOST NETS / CERT: TBC / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: MARK BOUSFIELD / STARRING: JOE SOWERBUTTS, BRUCE LAWRENCE, CHARLOTTE MOUNTER, LLOYD MORRIS / RELEASE DATE: TBC
