2023 HOLLYSHORTS FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW!
After her mother has mysteriously disappeared, Kaitlyn (Mary Rose Branick) is determined to locate her. With the help of an AI, of which the Likeness to her real mother is uncanny, she will investigate this disappearance. She may find what she’s looking for, or she might find something horrifying.
Likeness couldn’t have come at a better time, a time when the world is questioning the role of AI–and this film plays with those ideas from the opening moments all the way to its conclusion. I’m not entirely sure that this was the purpose of Likeness, but it happens to fit right in with the discussions of the time nonetheless. This adds a layer of depth that transcends the entirety of the film, and it gives viewers another reason to appreciate Likeness.
Even without that aforementioned narrative, Likeness is a brilliant film. Made abundantly clear in the early going, this film is a drama that plans to screw with the emotions of viewers. It does just as it promised, and the first time that Kaitlyn’s mother, Fiona (Virginia Newcomb), appears on screen, we, along with Kaitlyn, become grief stricken. Much of that has to do with Newcomb’s aesthetic. Her eyes are glassy, almost teary throughout the duration of the film, and, even though the character that we are seeing is actually a fabrication of the real person, the emotion present in her is apparent. We fall in love with this character and the love that she has for her daughter as a result of the way she looks. Her face is flush and she’s clearly struggling, and she’s the perfect bridge between the real Fiona and this computer generated version of her. Branick plays a pivotal role in developing emotion as well, but what Newcomb brings to the table is unparalleled in Likeness.
Likeness is quick and smart, constantly finding new ways to appeal to viewers, and playing with a series of different emotions along the way. While emotion is such an important part of Likeness, it never sticks to one lane, ultimately becoming a fun journey that will appeal to many. The film explores new avenues at seemingly every turn, looking to mystery and thrills along the way. Writer-Director David A. Flores never stops finding new ways to appeal to his audience, constantly reeling them in further and further as the film progresses.
At the film’s conclusion, viewers have effectively made up their minds regarding what has happened to Fiona–but they are never really given answers. We are forced to explore all of the possibilities on our own, ultimately coming to our own conclusions once Likeness has concluded. The ambiguity that exists at the film’s close is enticing. It leaves the film open ended, but it also allows a darkness to reign over it as the credits begin to roll. Likeness is never bookended, forcing viewers to think about the film even long after it comes to a close.
I really had no idea what to expect when Likeness first came on–but what I was thrown into was emotionally riveting, thrilling, and just downright entertaining. Both Branick and Newcomb are stellar, evoking emotion throughout–and Likeness ultimately ends in the best possible way, leaving viewers to stew in their own thoughts. Likeness is just an incredible film from beginning to end.
Written & Directed by David A. Flores.
Starring Mary Rose Branick, Virginia Newcomb, & Lanéa Nolan.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
