Short Film Review: “Blank Shores” May Feel Familiar but It Packs an Emotional Punch

I will never forget what happened in 2020. The ongoing pandemic, state-mandated quarantine, and systematic murders by police officers will forever stay etched in the back of my mind. And yet, despite the heartbreak these memories bring, I know that pretending these things never happened last year will only make it harder for me to move on. Maybe that is why I find director Alex Kyrou's film, Blank Shores, cathartic to watch. It is a film that explores grief, loss, and broken dreams in a familiar but emotionally heartwrenching manner.

Set in the near future, Blank Shores follows Emily (Georgina Campbell) as she investigates her estranged husband Connor (James Farrar) abrupt disappearance. While searching for her partner's whereabouts, the grieving wife finds a crumbled-up piece of paper with an unidentified phone number and address. Curious and desperate, Emily calls the number, which leads her to scientist Lenny (Gary Beadle) and his assistant Grace (Jackie Knowles) monitoring Connor as he lays on a machine that allows people to escape from their reality.

As stated, there are plenty of sci-fi films that tackle grief, loss, and dreams, like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Inception. However, what makes Blank Shores unique is that it explores a Black woman's mind and mental well-being instead of the mind of an angry white man. And regarding the protagonist, Campbell gives an outstanding performance as a grieving wife. You will immediately feel the pain and loss the actor emotes as she utters a passionate plea for someone to help her save Connor. 

In terms of the other cast members, Farrar looks great as Connor, but he does not have much material to work with since he only says one line in the entire film. However, you will cry a big ball of tears (or maybe a tiny one) when he wraps his wife in a deep embrace and reassures her everything will be okay. Beadle also steals the show with his performance as Lenny, the wise but cryptic scientist. Out of all the lines of the sci-fi drama, my favorite one is when Lenny tells Emily why her husband came to him. He says, ever so pointedly, "Why do you think he came here? To forget."

The only glaring problem with the film is that the lighting is too dark. I know it is a trend for dark and moody dramatic films to look dark and moody with little to no contrast. But is it too much to ask filmmakers to make their shots more visible for viewers? Despite my beef with dark screens, the muted tones, minimalistic costuming, and atmospheric music help sell the tragedy and loss of the married couple. 

Overall, Blank Shores is an emotionally rich short film that will help you process the loss and grief of the past year. Fans of Christopher Nolan's flicks will also get a kick out of the music and cerebral elements of the film. If anything, I sincerely hope a studio or streaming service will notice Kyrou's work and turn his short sci-fi drama into a full-length feature.

Poster and trailer by Sixty Clicks Productions

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