Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Did I just see the short film ‘Crash Site’ because Glenn from ‘The Walking Dead’ AKA Steven Yeun (‘Minari’ and ‘Beef’) is in it? Maybe. Should you watch if you’re a bit of a Yeun fan too? Totally.
Directed by Jason Sperling (who by the way has worked on the special effects for The Walking Dead and The Umbrella Academy) and written by Miles Brandman, ‘Crash Site’ follows hikers Sam (Steven Yeun) and Ben (Sam Richardson) as they stumble upon a strange black box at the crash site of a mysterious machine, possibly of extra-terrestrial origin. Instead of alerting authorities, Sam takes the box home, becoming obsessed with cracking its secret.
At just under 15 minutes, the sci-fi short centers on whether Sam can decipher the purpose of the mysterious black box and establish contact with its creators before the authorities catch up to him. Steven Yeun is engaging as Sam, a lonely, socially awkward tinkerer who becomes completely absorbed in his discovery, and watching him puzzle over the object is easily the film’s most entertaining stretch.
From the opening minute, however, the loud background score overtly dramatizes even the most mundane moments, including scenes where Sam and Ben are simply walking through a field, unaware that they’re about to witness a crash. The music is overpowering, inflating viewer expectations and briefly making the film feel like it’s veering into horror-sci-fi territory. While there is genuine tension surrounding Sam’s fate, the payoff never quite matches the intensity the score promises, and the film ultimately isn’t as scary or edgy as it seems to suggest.
Unfortunately, Crash Site ends on an agonizing note, leaving both Sam and the audience stranded in frustration. Sam’s final, desperate cry – “I need to know…” – goes unanswered, and the film cuts out before offering any clarity, leaving viewers to sit with the same sense of helplessness.
If you’re comfortable with stories that hinge on unresolved cliffhangers, this short might be worth a quick watch when you’re killing time. Otherwise, the lack of resolution could make it a deeply unsatisfying experience.
Watch ‘Crash Site’ on Youtube.
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