'Future Hero' A Bite - Sized Piece Of A King - Sized Concept
Ramin Serry’s Future Hero roars from 0 to 60 in no time at all. Baby crying, wife zipping around the house, a minor argument brewing in the kitchen - all presented to us in handheld, shaky footage. It’s that quick. Serry has dropped us in the trenches with Adam, our protagonist, who rocks his newborn baby and shoots a look at his wife at 00:17 that precisely snares the attitude of the film. Comedy is given a certain permission that we as audience members won’t always lend to drama, for instance, or to horror. We accept and encourage big crazy storylines like this one, as the inaccessible ‘how’ - of time travel, in this case - can be written off as part of the funny. But a drama charting the same narrative has to contend with far more skepticism from the audience. It can be done, and when it’s good, it’s great. Check out Uncanny Valley (2015) hyperlink to AHotSet review link for an example of the futuristic sci-fi dramatic short, done right. A comedy, however, is a totally different ball game - and Future Hero came to play.
This is a short film that is not grounded in its aesthetic. Meaning, it isn't bound by any conviction to being believable. An advanced, time-traveling android sporting a laughably simple costume is a sharp example of the freedom this buys. Like a comedian who says "I have a girlfriend for this next joke” - and now for the content. Serry knows it's usually a pill that requires some work to swallow, so he writes that into his leading man's bumbling reaction to it all. He proceeds to dispel these concerns just as fast as they arose. Zach is even annoyed by his father Adam's - thus our own - inability to comprehend. With rolled eyes, he explains that he's followed a robot hitman, commissioned by his drug dealer, 30 years into the past in order to stop it from killing him as a baby. Try to keep up, Dad.
There is in fact some substance amidst the silliness. The film resolves itself in a tight six and a half minutes, but the story still manages to leave us reflecting on the importance of choices in relationships. Comedy seems to be a fulcrum of some kind, allowing films to more efficiently pull the lever in our brains that gets these introspective gears turning. Future Hero does in six and a half minutes what a lot of dramatic short films fail to do in twenty. The acting is fine, highs and lows. Ryan Woodle plays Adam a bedrock of funny and a solid choice for this role. It feels as though Lucas Kavner plays Zach, and could have done a bit more with the lines he was given, as a few well written moments fell just a bit flat. Zach's first line, “Get down!” was completely deficient in urgency. Additionally, introducing himself to his mother seemed like a moment that had a little more comedic potential.
I’m not in the business of identifying flaws in an effort to balance the review - rather, I’m hopeful that we recognize that the source of Future Hero’s merit is the concept upon which it is predicated. As far as stylistic film form is concerned, it’s the cinematic equivalent of a PB&J. We covered the acting, and the movie isn't particularly impressive from a cinematography standpoint either - we’re not fed any breathtaking wide shots or delicate framing. Sliced diagonally, with a handful of Fritos and a can of cola. Perfect when you're hungry, but don't feel like tucking your napkin into your shirt. It’s indelicate, unabashedly preposterous, and it hits the spot.