Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Oh what a sweet little film! But it needed a few more minutes, or maybe a sequel would be great.
Written and directed by Elle Mills, the 2022 short film “Reply” is about teenager Sam (Anthony Rosenthal) finding a whole new side to his mom Casey when he stumbles upon a video-tape made by her when she was a teen (Ciara Riley Wilson plays the teen version). The tape documents Casey’s last summer before college, when she was supposed to build a tree-house with her boyfriend Jackson (Corey Fogelmanis), but is instead assisted by new neighbor Hayden (Ava Capri).
“Reply” opens with teen Sam playing the found footage on an old TV, taking viewers back to 2006, when flip phones were all the rage. Although CDs were already common, it’s a bit curious that Casey chose to record her treehouse project on a DVD—especially since digital recording options were becoming more accessible by then. But the DVD adds a lot more nostalgia to the tape, the slightly grainy footage evokes a sense of lost innocence, a time that will never come back.
Just 15 minutes long, ‘Reply’ is a beautiful short film about both how love can find people in unexpected places, and how many let fear hold them back from trying new things and settle for what’s more familiar and comfortable. Ava Capri (‘Love, Victor’/‘Do Revenge’) is charmingly likable as Casey’s curious new neighbor Hayden. As soon as she moves in next door, Hayden offers to help Casey with the treehouse, and within minutes, an endearing bond begins to blossom between them. The onscreen chemistry between Ava and Ciara Riley Wilson is very cute.
‘Reply’ feels like a song, and while it explores teen love and the messiness of emotions, it also delves into how little we truly know about their parents. Through the old tapes, Sam gets a glimpse of his mother’s younger self, allowing him to see her in a new light and understand her more deeply as a person. The ending feels a bit abrupt, yet it wraps up on a positive, playful note. I just wish it had lasted a few minutes longer!
Rating: 8 on 10. You can watch ‘Reply’ on YouTube.
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