Kyle Garett’s short ‘Left Behind’ tackles a very important problem that is bruising the conscience of our times – suicide. There are thousands of cases of suicide all over the world every year, and day by day, many organizations are trying to raise awareness about this issue through testimonies, short video clips, campaigns, ads, and so on. As it turns out, this kind of human implication is well received, and in some cases, it works. ‘Left Behind’ is one of those movies that could easily be placed in the category of social awareness films that have the power to save lives.

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Unfortunately, this short has no fictional value, and it is really hard for us to see it as a valuable story that can compete in a 'short fiction' section. The story depicts one man coming home, being in a good mood, going up the stairs only to find his wife hanged in the bedroom. There is no further storyline, no other things that could make the viewer understand nothing more than a news bit on a suicide case. Kyle Garrett states that 'the film tries to emulate the effect that suicide has on the loved ones left behind and how they can be destroyed by the act.’ but there isn’t such thing as depth when it comes to its narrative. Some kind of flashbacks would have been nice, or a little bit of backstory inserted with style here and there would have boosted this short’s potential greatly.

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Other than this, we appreciate the impeccable editing of ‘Left Behind’, and the fact that it tried to foreground a clear statement against suicide. In terms of production, there is nothing to reproach – the cast played their parts really nice, and the score is outstanding for a short that focuses on such a grim subject. If the story had a different approach, we are sure that this project would have been on our monthly shortlist.

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Written by Vlad A. G