Gun!

Starring: Ryan Beggs, Emily Wilson, Jam Murphy, Brian Park
Directed by: Ryan Beggs, Mary Clare Plaschke
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Comedy, Short
Length: 12 minutes
2022

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Two friends (Ryan Beggs, Emily Wilson) meet a social media influencer (Jam Murphy) whom they see as their ticket to internet fame.

Review:

Tim: I watched this short film because I went to high school with one of the main cast members. Otherwise, I likely never would have found it. Overall, I enjoyed Gun!. I'm not sure Ryan Beggs (as writer, director, star) has a long and illustrious career ahead of him, but he certainly seems to have some talent. Gun! is a bit of a ridiculous comedy short, but it does explore contemporary times, with obsession about social media influencers a focus of many young people. This short takes us on a bit of winding journey and it has some legitimately entertaining parts. It's not as funny as it needed to be, but I didn't mind watching it in the least.

The story sets up our two protagonists, friends Ryan and Emily. They're modern young people, obsessed with their phones and finding fame on the internet. They're both mostly played for laughs- I appreciated that they were able to poke fun at these versions of themselves (as they're played by Ryan Beggs and Emily Wilson). I wouldn't say I liked either character much, but they held my attention. They stumble upon a social media superstar India Hammermill (a ridiculous name), played by Jam Murphy. Murphy brings a lot of energy to the role. I think she's still figuring things out, as she's still early in her career. However, the movie absolutely picks up when she comes on screen. Her performance doesn't feel completely nature, but I enjoyed what she did with the role. Brian Park shows up later and while quite restrained, gives the best performance of the film. He never feels like he's acting- he comes across as authentic.

These four characters have a few misunderstandings about a gun. It's sort of funny, in a ridiculous way. This culminates in a pepper spray scene, which was probably the highlight of the film. It's fairly humorous and well staged.

Gun! is a small comedic short that I likely never would have seen if I didn't have a thin personal connection to it. I'm glad I watched it, though. It was entertaining and it showcased a number of people with more talent than I have, trying to break into the business in a bigger way. The production was obviously minimal, but it's well made.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- N/A


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