Short Film Review – ‘We Die Alone’

In Marc Cartwright‘s latest short film ‘We Die Alone‘, a quiet young man finds it hard to connect with the opposite sex. As much as he wants to, his anxiety and fear of making a complete fool of himself always get in the way, resulting in ghosting his online dates. His co-worker Elaine is always ready to offer him the right advice, so when a charismatic new neighbour comes knocking at his door, he finally finds the courage to talk to another woman.

Cartwright (‘Vexed‘) builds tension by using some standard stalker-tropes and a simple yet effective score. What really throws you for a loop is how you think you have it all figured out, but Cassie Keet (‘Bitches By The Sea‘) and Cartwright’s screenplay has a few surprises up its sleeve. What ensues is a sweat-inducing shocker that’ll make you think twice before letting strangers into your life.

This trio of actors does a phenomenal job at really capturing the essence of their characters, giving you a sense of comfort to then throw it all overboard. It feels like as if you’ve been cheated on. Sociopath Aidan gets portrayed by Baker Chase Powell (‘Dolemite Is My Name‘), who’s performance is timid but forbidding at the same time. The complete opposite is Ashley Jones (‘The Bold and the Beautiful‘), who’s simply terrific at playing the caring but flirty Elaine. The tone of her voice and her way of connecting with the camera shows she knows exactly how to draw attention to herself. Samantha Boscarino (‘The Kitty Kat Killer’) kills it as the mesmerizing new neighbour, Chelsea. Her look is very commercial, but with this performance she proves she can handle herself in a psychological thriller, where anything is possible.

We Die Alone‘s commentary on relationships and social skills, makes you question your assumptions on someone’s appearance and behaviour. This twisted character thriller dips its toes in the horror-genre, while drifting further away from the shoreline, resulting in a cleverly constructed short film that’ll make your blood run cold.

You can watch ‘We Die Alone’ on Amazon Prime and Gunpowder. Cartwright’s short film will be released on Sky’s Alter around Halloween.

Short Film Review – ‘We Die Alone’

Reviewed online, August 25, 2020. Running time: 24 min.

PRODUCTION: A Glass Cabin Films production. Producers: Marc Cartwright, Baker Chase Powell. Executive producer: Sharon Ekstrom.

CREW: Director/editor: Marc Cartwright. Screenplay: Marc Cartwright, Cassie Keet. Cinematography: Gabriel Gely. Music: David Williams.

WITH: Ashley Jones, Samantha Boscarino, Baker Chase Powell.