Pandemic pandemonium persists as the personification of a predisposition to paranoia of peers is present in a palpable parallel taking place in an epic post-apocalyptic parable.
Stay Alert is a post-apocalyptic short film inspired by current events. Set in London, Great Britain, we follow Hersha Patel as Amber Vep. She’s a night nurse during a global pandemic, however, the virus she speaks of isn’t named specifically. She the decline of civilization because of it and how she stays safe.
She does a great job at performing despite half her face being covered. She uses her eyes to express herself vividly. Her expressions capture all the sweeping emotions going through the head while it’s described through a voice-over. Her voice acting is also great because she uses her voice to illustrate her personal thoughts and feelings as well as her role during all this. Driven more by the voice work, she portrays a strong, intellectual survivor who’s also relatable and empathetic.
Nicholas Rowe is Edgar Spindlar. An enigmatic stranger that befriends her with very different views about the recent situation. We soon learn he may have more sinister intentions than he originally lead on. He’s charming until his treacherous dark side comes out showing his versatility. How he switches from alluring to menacing is fantastic.
Directors Lou Elsey and Dave Elsey use spanning wide shots to show the emptiness of the streets. They also use camera movement effectively for some unique visuals of the city and forest. Another aspect I enjoyed was how the chase scene was shot. The woods have never felt so chilling.
Written by Dave Elsey, he’s obviously inspired by current events. He’s wise enough to include relatable situations like social distancing and wearing masks to make social commentary without feeling too on the nose or preachy. He examines both sides equally too. I believe art should pose the questions, not provide definitive answers. He excels in that regard.
Overall, art imitating real-world occurrences is inevitable, how it’s presented is a different matter. Instead of shaming people who think to disregard public health officials’ warnings and safety precautions he presents them as ordinary people entitled to their opinions. The larger-than-life aspects involved elevate it from a public service message to a true blue horror film. I highly recommend it. And remember, who’s really the wise man, the one providing the answers, or the one asking the questions?
