Short Film Review: ‘Sisyphus Unbound’ (2023)
Sisyphus Unbound serves as a thoughtful watch—and a reminder to all to keep pursuing your passion. We, indeed, exist in Murphy’s Law, but that doesn’t mean we should stop short of reaching our goals because of the difficulty we face. Sometimes rugge
“Virgil, a college writing student, hopes to have his latest story published, but he must first get over one major hurdle before his work gets out to the world: his mercurial writing professor, Richard Laymen.”
— Official Synopsis
Sisyphus Unbound is part of the Winterfilm X Festival’s official 2023 selection—its 10th anniversary. Using only a prop (mechanical pencil) and a theme (percentage), writer-director Ryan Fleming penned a simple story of overcoming adversity. The film stars Frederick J. Todd (Virgil), Timothy J. Cox (Laymen), and Emerson Adams (Gwen).
Too often, we are left pondering of our day-to-day decisions and questioning what we could have done differently. Sisyphus Unbound beautifully reinforces the notion that every person has the power to change the course of their own history on a micro-scale; send that email, lean into a particular skill, and be bold in approaching new opportunities. These themes are centralized inside of the short, eight minute film and upheld through the tact focus on dialogue and subtle character mannerisms.
Each of the actors has a solid sense of their character, guiding the audience to that very self-realization by the end of the reel. Beyond the performances, Joe Hughes and Ashtin Francis cultivate an environment of anxiety and intensity that is tangible through their editing technique and cinematography, respectively. Sisyphus could have taken these elements even further with a condensed script and greater emphasis on building anticipation for an inevitable confrontation.
Nonetheless, Sisyphus Unbound serves as a thoughtful watch—and a reminder to all to keep pursuing your passion. We, indeed, exist in Murphy’s Law, but that doesn’t mean we should stop short of reaching our goals because of the difficulty we face. Sometimes rugged individualism has its perks, and our dear friend, Virgil, certainly has taken that lesson to heart!
