CANINE 

THE SETUP

Firstly, I’d just like to say thank you to Hypnosis Pictures and Writer/Director, Sean Richard Budde for allowing me early access to an online screener of his latest 5-minute short “Canine”. Canine is a micro thriller that centers around a man (played by Ira Amyx) who’s desperately trying to locate his missing chocolate labrador. A random jogger (Sloan Davis) happens upon the dog and looks to return it to its rightful owner, only he’s already watching – and waiting.

Canine is an interesting choice for the title given that the film actually has very little to do with dogs. That said, the dog in the film is adorable (haha). The most impressive aspect of Canine, without question, is Eric Liberacki’s sharp cinematography. There are some smooth tracking shots and smart Steadicam movements that include a 180-degree turn mid shot. The audio track is crisp and the bass-driven synth score is energetic, to say the least. I’m not sure why there was such an emphasis on the dog. Was he or she supposed to represent something? Or simply just serve as a means of luring people into a false sense of security? If Earl (the dog owner) had a set agenda, why not pursue that with any of the other passers first? (well maybe not the couple but yeah).

Canine is an entertaining enough and well made short film, though I’m not entirely sure it has a purpose. Keep an eye out for it soon and you can be the judge!

My rating for “Canine” is 6/10