In a review I recently wrote for a short film, I stated that when dealing with a subject matter that’s sensitive, filmmakers have to change their approach in how they convey the film’s message. Goodnight is a film that deals with a very sensitive subject, and it’s a film that very much does so in an excellent manner.
The film tells the story of a little girl, who believes that a man by the name of BILLY lives under her bed.
Goodnight has a pretty standard concept. However, it stands out because of how it makes use of it. The script, written by Diane Michelle (who also directs), is creepy and has a bit of mystery to it. Michelle approaches the subject in such a subtle manner that when the viewer works out what happens, it has much more of an impact. And it should, because it’s a topic that is relevant, and a topic that’s also not talked about enough.
Michelle doesn’t want to show you it, and by doing this, she shows us what it’s like for survivors of this type of experience. The monster under the bed mirrors the real life situations – the survivors feel trapped and nobody believes them. From this, we are given an important short film that needs to be seen; and it only takes nine minutes or so!
Subtle in its approach, with such a wonderful script, Goodnight is a short film that hits all the notes.
****1/2 out of *****
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