Lake Pluto

Starring: Jam Murphy, Raquel Orendain Shrestha, Michelle McMillan, Michelle Marlowe
Directed by: Biz Jones
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Short, Science Fiction
Length: 33 minutes
2022

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A young woman (Jam Murphy) takes a solitary weekend trip to Lake Pluto, where she discovers something beyond belief.

Review:

Tim: I liked Biz Jones' Lake Pluto. This is a simple, straightforward sci-fi short film that tells an unexpected story. It feels very much a product of the 2020s and it has enough depth to the story that you find yourself thinking about it after the credits have rolled. It's more ambitious than many of these short films.

The story follows a young woman who feels like she's at a crossroads in her life. She has a bit of an overbearing mother, a good relationship with her sister, and a crumbling romantic relationship blinking with warning lights. To escape reality, she decides to spend a weekend camping at Lake Pluto, a place she saw on Instagram. She packs up the car and ventures into the wilderness alone (which, film tells us is always a bad idea). What she finds at the lake isn't at all what I expected and it's hard to write this review without totally spoiling it. I'll do my best. I will say that the unexpected held my attention. I wondered where Jones was going with the film (Jones also wrote it), and I was intrigued by the events of the film. I sometimes struggle with longer short films (ha)- 33 minutes is an odd place. It's longer than many are, but it's still less than a feature-length film. Is that enough time to tell a story? Or is it too much? Jones balances this by delivering a film that feels like it uses its runtime appropriately. I was never anxious for the film to end, but by the time it did, I was ready. It's impressive to see the best use of the runtime possible for a film like this.

Jam Murphy gets a great opportunity here to continue to build her acting chops. Outside of an uncredited television episode appearance, this is only the 2nd short film she's acted in. She gets more depth here than you'd expect and it's great fun to watch her shift her tone and delivery as the movie progresses. I was impressed that she was able to mostly carry this film- she gets a little help from the supporting cast (most noteworthy is Raquel Orendain Shrestha), but really, the success of the film rests on her shoulders. She rises to the occasion and delivers a solid performance.

I enjoyed Lake Pluto. It's unlike what you might expect from a short film like this and it certainly doesn't play it safe. It's atmospheric and interesting. Biz Jones delivers a short worth seeing, which is impressive as a directorial debut.

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



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