A family’s photo lab is about to permanently close, and a mother and daughter have to prepare for that closure. As they look through old photos and family videos they are reminded of the life that they once had, and the patriarch of their family. Last Days of the Lab tells their story as they are reminded of what once was and what may lie ahead for each of them.
Last Days of the Lab does a really good job of pointing out the antiquated ways of the past, particularly in regard to photography. Viewers are effectively pulled through time as a result of being placed in a photo lab and then being faced with the reality of today’s issues. This film is sort of a blast from the past that envelops viewers in its story, and as we move through the film, we are constantly reminded of the things that once existed and how they’ve changed over time. I enjoy that Last Days of the Lab brings us back to a simpler time, that it allows viewers to look into the past and see how we’ve changed–because it allows the film to hit all of the right emotional notes.
Last Days of the Lab is full of seemingly inconsequential dialogue and plot points, things that shouldn’t have any meaning in the grand scheme of the film–but all of these little decisions, every choice that Writer-Director María Alvarez and Writer Ethan Newmyer make throughout the course of Last Days of the Lab lends itself to emotional relevance. As a result of simplistic dialogue and the odd things that both Isabel (Alex Felix) and Lucia (Arianna Ortiz) do during the film, we are invited into their story, and truly able to appreciate who they are and where they’ve come from.
Viewers are taken on a journey with Isabel and her mother Lucia–and every intimate detail plays a role in how we view them, and whether or not we are able to accept them. Both Alvarez and Newmyer develop a narrative that, like the rest of Last Days of the Lab, is incredibly simple and easy to follow. Viewers will love both of the film’s leads, and I can guarantee that through the film’s simplicity, viewers will be able to connect to the content and Lucia and Isabel.
This short film is filled to the brim with emotion. From the closing of their family photo lab to the home videos of the man that once helped to hold the family together, every second of this film is packed with emotion. Last Days of the Lab works in so many ways, and every single viewer will have the opportunity to fall in love with this film.
Directed by María Alvarez.
Written by María Alvarez & Ethan Newmyer.
Starring Alex Felix, Arianna Ortiz, Juan Francisco Villa, Reggie P. Louis, & Sofia Grace Clifton.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
