NIGHT WATCH

THE SETUP

Night Watch is a 6 minute Action/Crime short, Written by Keith Kuramoto and Elvin  Misimovic and Directed by Barry Battles (The Baytown Outlaws). Night Watch follows Ana (played by Brea Grant of TV’s, Heroes) on her first date with the charismatic, Brendan (James Harvey Ward). In this day and age it can be difficult finding the right guy but Ana thinks this may be the man she’s been looking for all along.

THE GOOD

I was doing a little digging on Brea Grant, who I’d previously seen in another short called “The Root Of The Problem”, when I stumbled upon Barry Battles latest short film. The name sounded familiar to me and then I realized it was because Battles directed a personal favourite “The Baytown Outlaws”, a Rodriguez (Sin City and Machete) esq exploitative, Action/Crime film from 2012. It’s a film that kind of flew under the radar but impressed in just about every facet, so I was interested to see this little quickie he made. I love the retro poster art for this one. Keith and Elvin’s script has a scent of “Kick Ass” about it (probably just due to the leather sporting femme fatale/vigilante) and it’s presented in a very engaging way. David McFarland’s cinematography is smooth and the framing sharp, especially with those early tracking shots. The audio is clear and the opening piece of synth score complements the overall tone of the short. Some of the lighting works wonders as well, the yellows and pinks from the street light seeping into the coffee shop window. The clever cross over narrative of events make for a unique presentation. The fight choreography is decent and the jilted editing techniques during said fight, add something fresh. The performances from both Grant and Ward are more than serviceable too.

THE BAD

The only thing I didn’t like in the 6 minute running time were the quips from the head thief, particularly the “Netflix and chill” line. I understand that with this being presented like a comic or graphic novel, that’s something that goes hand in hand but it’s just a personal preference of mine.

I have nothing but wonderful things to say about this awesome little Action/Crime short. Night Watch is expertly shot, lit nicely and well acted. The best aspect is the intercut edit of the narrative, that and I’m a sucker for a good fight scene. I loved the Baytown Outlaws and I’m really looking forward to seeing what Battles does next. Do yourself a favor and check this one out, the link can be found below!

My rating for “Night Watch” is 9/10