The Graveyard Review
The Graveyard is a 2021 short film written and directed by Daniel de la Cruz.
A short film that has a clear emotional tone to it, The Graveyard pushes past a few technical limitations to deliver a story that has a powerful message behind it.
Two strangers connected by the loss of a mutual friend find solace in one another as they both contemplate the point of life in the eponymous “graveyard,” a place defined by its remoteness from the rest of the world.
There can never be enough open discussion about grief, suicide, and how we cope with such things, especially in the face of losing someone we care about. This short handles the topic well and creates a very believable story set in the backdrop of high school teenage angst.
The one place where the film on a technical level does not reach as much of a high is in the framing as well as cinematography. Throughout the film there are moments where the 180-degree rule is broken, creating some jarring instances of character placement in the space. The cinematography as well has some struggles as the amount of shadows/harsh lighting jumps around between takes.
Neither of these things really destroy what is being said in the film, but happen enough to create a noticeable affect during viewing.
The acting is solid here, with both leads carrying the more dramatic tone of the material in a refined way. The only caveat to this might be the very beginning moments where they first meet, things just feel a touch stiff, but as the piece goes on, the actors warm up nicely from the other.
The Graveyard creates a strong sense of believability out of the high school experience of life seeming too much to bear. For many of us we can instantly relate and this piece exemplifies that teenage angst well. Despite the few technical misgivings, there is a sound message here and a good reason to find hope in life even when it might seem too much to bear.
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Cheers!
Daniel Hess
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