Short Film Review: ‘A Family Matter’ (2023)
After kidnapping and brutally attacking a young woman, former Mafia enforcer Colter and his two sons have to decide on the fate of the young woman. The biggest question is what got her in that situation in the first place?
★★½
Thriller, Crime (15 minutes)
dir. Richard Russell
Starring: James L. Edwards, Kyle Shaw, Keith Migra, Heather Bayles, and Allison Marie Rogers
“After kidnapping and brutally attacking a young woman, former Mafia enforcer Colter and his two sons have to decide on the fate of the young woman. The biggest question is what got her in that situation in the first place?”
— Official Synopsis
A Family Matter showcases some of Richard Russell’s (It’ll Be Okay) best directorial inclinations; bolstering fantastic performances (particularly from James L. Edwards and Heather Bayles), edgy soundtracks, and ruinous, unnerving undertones. Yet, the brutality of the latest short feels muted by a lack of purpose in its more disturbing moments. Incessant violence can be undoubtedly effective in storytelling—but the absence of counter-balanced tone can lead to the degradation of its thematic integrity.
The short film captures a harrowing look at how a person’s fleeting actions can sour a relationship. A wrong-place, wrong-time kind of situation. Here, Melissa (Heather Bayles) is dating the son of a Mafia enforcer. It’s clear that the family’s past casts dark shadows on Melissa’s future, especially since it seems that she has no clue who these people truly are. Colter (James L. Edwards) and his two sons, Josh (Kyle Shaw) and Timmy (Keith Migra), are kind enough, it seems, but eventually reveal themselves to be ruthless killers.
Melissa’s minor (and not entirely understood) mistake costs her not only a relationship, but potentially her life. Perhaps, if A Family Matter had justified the actions of the family by using even more flashbacks—or threading the narrative needle from past-to-present via the script—the intention of its violence wouldn’t have been lost in translation. As an audience, we must know a central character enough to the point where their actions can be justified under different contexts. Just a sliver of additional material would have taken the thriller aspect of the project to the next level.
Still, though, the intensity of the drama and particular genre are felt heavily throughout. A Family Matter does deliver on the promise of being bold in its presence; not remotely bowing to a more timid presentation. Despite some lagging audio issues, the soundtrack is mixed delicately to amplify a more uneasy atmosphere. As previously mentioned, the performances are largely exciting and devilishly calculated. Without the questionable brutalization of women, this could have been an even more chilling, and affective, viewing experience.
Check out the teaser trailer below!