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Synopsis

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JACKED - Film Promotional Poster

Film Review - JACKED

UK 2016 Director: Liam Monk Cast: Kieran Falzon, Candice Russel, Harry Dobson, Jake Took Certificate: 12

Banstead Reviewers Newsletter March 2016

safety. The sense

of fear in James is

elicited well through

the performance,

and as he gives the

men a fake phone,

we are shocked

and left pondering

whether he is

simply brave or

stupid for attempt-

ing such a risky

move. This reaction

sets us up nicely

for when his actual

mobile phone goes

off and the attack-

ers return, this

time, bringing out a

knife. The camera

movement within

the confrontation is

continuous and

smooth, however

there are some

significant continui-

ty errors that really

bring down the

impact and

fighting over the usual petty problems such

as mobile communications with people other

than their other half. James (Kieran Falzon)

is given to us a the ignorant male character

on his mobile phone whilst his girlfriend

Kerry (Candice Russel) is walking beside

awkwardly and frustrated. The ensuing con-

versation is the bog-standard ‘girlfriend is

angry, the guy doesn’t know why ‘ argument

we see in more films these days than need-

ed. So we are left to assume that the short

is just going to be another predictable, mo-

notonous playout of events afterward, but

luckily for Monk, this is not the case. Kerry’s

violent throw of her ring back to James real-

ly sets us the infortune of James in the next

scenes. The performance of James is slight-

ly lacklustre when he first sees the hooded

men following behind him, with the almost

false surprise breaking our immersion into

the film. The following scenes are well

placed and feel as though they flow with the

structure of the narrative. We see James

pacing away from these men as he’s

immediately worries by their presence. How-

ever, it seems too sudden and overly

cautious, therefore limiting the immersion

into the story. On the other hand, as he

moves onto the field we are given a well-

placed sense of relief and false security as

James stops and takes a deep exhale. Then

the ensuing shock and surprise as he is

taken to the floor by the two attackers, really

helps drive the audiences worry for James’

Jacked is a 2016 short film production,

directed by the new and upcoming crea-

tor Liam Monk. For his first short film,

‘Jacked’ produces scenes of horror and

despair for not only the character within,

but also the audience watching. The

violence and trauma shown really helps

us as an audience empathise for the

character when he’s being attacked by

the two ‘scum of the Earth’ hooded men

walking around with knives and the intent

to take whatever they want, with no regard

for human well-being. The story begins

with a clearly disfunctioning couple that is

immersion into the

scene. The ending of

JACKED is somewhat

unfulfilling for us as an

audience, with James

only getting some clo-

sure as he sees his at-

tacker unconscious on

the floor. But the intend-

ed theme of retribution or

‘karma’ is still evident to

us as viewers. Overall,

JACKED is a well-

rounded short, with

some mishaps, but a

compelling narrative.