A woman suffering from agoraphobia must try and overcome her condition in order to find her lost dog in the short film Homebound. This is our review.
Homebound marks the third time Usher Morgan has graced the online pages of Screen Critix, having reviewed his previous efforts Prego and Pickings in past years. Now, returning with frequent collaborator Katie Vincent, Morgan is showing an even more distinct voice and style with a gripping and emotional short film.
Jamie (played by Katie Vincent) is a woman who suffers severely from Agoraphobia – a condition that makes the person suffering afraid of open spaces or being in situations where escape may be difficult. Afraid of what lies behind her New York apartment door, Jamie seeks help from a therapist who suggests that a therapy dog may help. It turns out, the suggestion was good, as the arrival of a King Charles Spaniel named Bailey (played by Blake and Bentley) works wonders for her. That is until Bailey goes missing.
As informed during a frantic phone call, a maintenance man clumsily left the door open, giving Bailey the opportunity to escape into the busy New York streets. This leaves Jamie incredibly distraught, but in order to locate and retrieve her beloved puppy, she has to overcome her fears and leave the apartment.
Using some excellent visual metaphors, Usher Morgan lets the audience get deep into Jamie’s condition, her anxiety, and her panic attacks. He also takes a leaf out of Jonathan Demme’s playbook with his use of letting the actors talk and look straight into the lens, much like Demme did with his Oscar-winning The Silence of the Lambs. The technique made me feel a little unsettled, but it works well here.
Whilst this is, mostly, a one-character film (the therapist played by Sebastian Arce is only used fleetingly), Homebound is an exceptionally well performed short film, thanks to the awe-inspiring performance of Katie Vincent. As Jamie, Vincent convinces during the 19-minute runtime so much so, that you forget you are watching an actor pretending to suffer from a panic-induced condition, and that what you are witnessing is as real as a documentary on agoraphobia. She is fantastic and deserves the awards and plaudits that will most likely be going her way.
I have to say, I was also very impressed with Christopher North’s score and the original song Burn by Astyria (the latter used for the final scenes). The use of both the score and Burn helped the short film astronomically. They were/are that good.
Overall, I have enjoyed watching Usher Morgan’s short films over these last few years and, with Homebound, it is plain to see that the director (who was good to begin with) is ever-improving. The short film is certainly recommended for its style and towering performance from its leading lady.
Homebound is currently playing at the LA Shorts International Film Festival until July 31st and you can catch it here – https://www.lashortsfest.com/suspense-program
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