Watching the final chapter of a trilogy without seeing the first two entries would normally feel like walking into a conversation halfway through. Thankfully, that isn’t the case with Main Remains, the concluding instalment of Abigail Bruley’s surreal short film series. While returning viewers will undoubtedly appreciate the character’s complete journey, newcomers can quickly find their footing thanks to an imaginative premise, engaging performances and a wonderfully offbeat sense of humour that blends the macabre with the heartfelt.
The film opens on a rain-soaked journey as taxi driver Jeanette Fornacello (Ellen Boscov) picks up Main, played by Bruley herself. Speaking matter-of-factly into a dictaphone, Jeanette records the cause of death, “lightning strike”, before revealing that this is no ordinary cab ride. Main has died, and the taxi is transporting her through a liminal realm between life and whatever comes next.
It’s an immediately intriguing concept, made even more unusual when Main learns she hasn’t fully processed her own death. Due to a traumatic brain injury, her mind is struggling to align with her heart and body, preventing her from passing on. Given just thirty-nine hours to resolve the emotional baggage tethering her to the world, she’s also granted a handful of supernatural abilities. Invisible to the living, she can manipulate objects and even speak through other people, gifts intended to help her find peace. Instead, she initially sees them as the perfect opportunity to settle old scores.
Jeanette quickly warns her that abusing these powers comes with consequences. Continue using them selfishly and she’ll remain trapped in limbo, doomed to become another afterlife taxi driver ferrying souls between worlds. Use them for good, however, and she can finally move on. It’s a clever moral dilemma wrapped inside a premise that feels like Beetlejuice by way of A Christmas Carol, with Tim Burton-esque eccentricity sitting comfortably alongside themes of grief, regret and redemption.
Main’s first stop is her own bedroom, where her mother and estranged friend Liz, played by Marisa Dabice, are sorting through her belongings. Unable to see Main standing beside them, they begin discussing the difficult relationships she left behind. When Liz mocks one of Main’s old T-shirts, she can’t resist responding, projecting her voice through her own mother in a wonderfully amusing sequence that perfectly demonstrates the film’s quirky supernatural rules.
The story gathers further momentum when Main’s family discovers her teenage diary containing an outrageous “Death Wish List”. Requests range from wanting Tom Petty to perform at her funeral despite the musician having already passed away himself, to bizarre instructions asking for parts of her body to be buried while others are cremated. The increasingly absurd situation eventually leads Liz to an unconventional funeral director to ask whether both wishes can somehow be honoured simultaneously. The deadpan responses and increasingly ridiculous funeral arrangements provide some of the film’s funniest moments, poking gentle fun at death while never mocking the genuine grief experienced by those left behind.
Although the film establishes an inventive supernatural playground, it occasionally feels as though it doesn’t fully exploit the possibilities it creates. Main spends much of the running time observing events unfold, with only a handful of opportunities to actively use her newfound powers beyond speaking through her mother and watching her loved ones struggle with her final wishes. Given the imaginative rules established early on, there is a sense that the concept could have been pushed even further before the clock finally runs out.
Even so, Main Remains remains consistently engaging thanks to its confident filmmaking. Abigail Bruley delivers a warm and charismatic central performance, making Main easy to root for despite her mischievous streak, while Ellen Boscov brings just the right amount of dry wit and authority to Jeanette, the weary cab driver who has clearly seen countless lost souls before. Marisa Dabice also impresses as Liz, grounding much of the film’s emotional conflict beneath the comedy.
Visually, the production is polished throughout. Cinematographer Wesley Mellot gives the film a clean, cinematic appearance with carefully composed framing and an attractive colour grade that helps distinguish the earthly scenes from the more surreal moments in limbo. For a ten-minute independent short, the production values are consistently impressive.
The soundtrack also deserves recognition. Featuring music by the legendary Sun Ra Arkestra, the score brings an unpredictable jazz energy that perfectly complements the film’s surreal tone. The music never overwhelms the story, instead enhancing its dreamlike atmosphere and reinforcing the strange emotional space Main finds herself occupying between life and death.
Knowing the background behind the trilogy adds another layer of appreciation. Bruley began creating the Main films after suffering a traumatic brain injury in a serious car accident, using the fictional character as a way of processing grief, identity and the challenges of living with what she describes as an invisible disability. Rather than presenting these experiences through straightforward drama, she filters them through surreal comedy, spirituality and absurdist humour. Even for viewers unfamiliar with the earlier chapters, that personal perspective gives Main Remains an authenticity that quietly resonates beneath its eccentric surface.
Main Remains is an inventive dark comedy
At just ten minutes, Main Remains is an inventive and entertaining conclusion that balances comedy, fantasy and emotional reflection with confidence. While there is perhaps untapped potential within its supernatural premise, its memorable characters, distinctive humour and genuinely original concept make it an enjoyable short that stands comfortably on its own. Whether this truly marks the end of Main’s story or simply closes one chapter before another begins, Abigail Bruley has created a character whose strange journey still feels like it has plenty of life left in it.
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