In Crossbow the spoiler is right in front of you, there in the title. A crossbow is an anachronistic device and does not, at least in my mind, lend itself well to analogy or metaphor. In spite, or, more accurately, precisely because this ominous title hangs over the very start of viewing, the short film remarkably sustains a growing dread throughout its languid narration and slow-moving, though arresting visuals; maximizing its force not through the promise of surprise but through the inevitability of its conclusion.
Direction
Michôd's debut already shows his patient, punishing hand.
Acting
Edgerton and Chappell make neglect look terrifyingly casual.
Cinematography
Static suburban frames that feel like evidence photos.
Director
David Michôd
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Michôd made this as his AFTRS graduation film; it won Best Short at the Australian Film Institute Awards and launched his feature career.
The crossbow's anachronism is deliberate — it's the wrong weapon for this world, which makes the kid's choice feel even more like fate asserting itself.
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