Name: Shadow Brother Sunday Featured, Reviews Film Threat
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Shadow Brother Sunday Featured, Reviews Film Threat

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ShareAlden Ehrenreich (Solo) makes his directorial debut with Shadow Brother Sunday, a 14-minute short film about two brothers, one of whom is a successful actor, and the other is a struggling musician.The drama starts, and all you hear is overlapping chatter cranked up to eleven. And then comes the first shot of Cole (Ehrenreich) drinking a beer while standing alone amid a room packed with family and friends. Boasting a glazed expression and wearing a wrinkled jacket on top of a flannel, Cole looks awfully uninterested and underdressed compared to everyone else.Seconds later, Cole’s mom (Lisa Edelstein) enters the kitchen and urges people to watch the TV. Cole’s younger brother, Jacob (Nick Robinson), is being interviewed for his performance in a movie. During the interview, Jacob praises the cast. “We really became like a family,” Jacob says while Cole has this look of contempt, an indication of their strained relationship.Cole goes outside to take a phone call. As it turns out, Cole, strapped for cash, has put it out there that he has access to a celebrity’s private computer and is willing to sell it — that computer being his brother’s. Brian McOmber’s tense score, characterized by irregular, cacophonous beats, builds during this moment but then comes to a halt once Cole has a one-on-one with Jacob. Suffice it to say, the sibling tension remains.“…two brothers, one of whom is a successful actor, and the other is a struggling musician.”Ehrenreich brilliantly infuses every obstacle and interaction with a feeling of apprehension. During the process of the theft, Cole is interrupted by family and friends at every turn. With heightened sound design, the interruptions are nerve-racking and cringe-inducing. How Ehrenreich imbues the homely environment with so much familial unease is reminiscent of Emma Seligman’s Shiva Baby, which is the biggest compliment.For the majority of the runtime, Shadow Brother Sunday is an uncomfortably gripping experience as Cole is propelled from one room and heated exchange to another. The most notable is a tumultuous scene on the lawn as they take family photos, and the photographer forces a smile out of a reluctant Cole. Through all the excellently conceived chaos, Ehrenreich explores the bond between the brothers and how certain cracks formed due to some kind of distance or misunderstanding.Ehrenreich is in great acting form here as an uncombed, agitated, and slightly jealous brother. Ehrenreich knows how to express silent rage and sorrow with just his eyes. Cole feels like a real person caught under so much negativity. Robinson is playing somebody with fame and success. But in the first scene with Ehrenreich, Robinson alludes to his character’s discontent with a feigned chuckle and a few telling pauses between words. Both actors give phenomenal performances.Shadow Brother Sunday is a highly effective and surprisingly emotional short about two brothers unwilling to communicate truthfully. However, sometimes the truth comes out in the most unexpected of ways, and you can rebuild from there. Superbly written and dynamically directed, coupled with an ending that almost made me shed a tear, this is a promising start for Ehrenreich as a filmmaker.Shadow Brother Sunday (2023)Directed and Written: Alden EhrenreichStarring: Alden Ehrenreich, Nick Robinson, Lisa Edelstein, Nick Searcy, Ana Auther, Jacob Wysocki, etc.Movie score: 8/10"…highly effective and surprisingly emotional..."

ShareAlden Ehrenreich (Solo) makes his directorial debut with Shadow Brother Sunday, a 14-minute short film about two brothers, one of whom is a successful actor, and the other is a struggling musician.The drama starts, and all you hear is overlapping chatter cranked up to eleven. And then comes the first shot of Cole (Ehrenreich) drinking a beer while standing alone amid a room packed with family and friends. Boasting a glazed expression and wearing a wrinkled jacket on top of a flannel, Cole looks awfully uninterested and underdressed compared to everyone else.Seconds later, Cole’s mom...

Shadow Brother Sunday Featured, Reviews Film Threat

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