Sundance Film Festival 2022 Premiere – The red flags are everywhere in the short CHAPERONE by writer-director Sam Max. Yet, they are not the ones we are used to seeing which makes this 19 minute short all the more fascinating. Expectations are upended in a quiet, introspective way that makes the story all the more effective.

The titular Chaperone (Zachary Quinto) arrives dressed head to toe in black, driving a forgettable SUV, slowing to a stop just outside the destination. The Client (Russell Kahn) timidly steps outside through his front door and with knowing glances we see this is the ride the young man has been waiting for. Something isn’t right from the moment we see what’s playing out. Still, the young man hops into the car and his chaperone quietly drives off with him.

The two arrive at a large, split-level home. It seems this is a more spacious neighborhood with trees nestled along the roads, obscuring any sightlines. As the two enter the home, an overview shot offers a troubling view. All of the furniture in the living room is covered, Dexter-style, in plastic sheets. The bedroom is no different. What is about to go down and why is there a drawer full of drugs in the upstairs bathroom?

The beauty in this short is allowing it to play with your expectations. Max’s script plays the action slow and vague forcing viewers to find a connection to one character or the other while dreading what might be coming next. Quinto offers the piece a skeevy gravitas that he is so good at while his co-star Russell Kahn toys with our notions of what might be going on.

A beautifully produced piece, CHAPERONE is haunting in the best way. You savor the performances while going over the story in hopes of finding an answer. Well done.

7 Out of 10