A man finds himself reliving old memories. A VHS tape of a woman haunts him. Did she leave him? What did he do? Was it a mutual parting or a one-sided breakup? He doesn’t know. He doesn’t remember anything, not even her name or his own. The apartment flickers between daylight and stormy night. Is any of this real? Out of the corner of his eye, the man sees his own face staring at him from the darkness, but when he looks, the face is gone.
This short film is filled with experimental film work and time-related high strangeness. The vagueness in the story and setting is by design: Echoes demands that you wonder what’s going on. Those well-versed in sci-fi, horror, and fantasy will have many conflicting ideas about what is happening, and the answers aren’t especially forthcoming. That is part of this short film’s allure. Are we in a time loop? Is he a ghost? Is this some sort of inverse dimension he’s trapped in? Are these memories? Viewers will find themselves asking these questions and more as they watch this fantastic short film. It contains a lot of absolutely fantastic visual effects and scenarios that are haunting in their simplicity and otherworldlyness.
Like many short films, I can’t say too much here without spelling out the whole plot, but patrons who enjoy mind-bending cinema will also enjoy Echoes: A Dark Odyssey in Time. Those who love drama will be impressed with the performances on screen, and lovers of film craft will want to see the unique and experimental visual effects throughout. Consider adding this title to film showings about memory, relationships, and perception. Highly Recommended.
Where does this title belong on public library shelves?
Echoes would fit best among other dark and mysterious short films.
What type of film series could use this film?
Echoes would be a perfect fit for a film series featuring psychological thrillers about memory such as Memento, Gothika, or Shutter Island.