Driving late at night has its advantages — almost no traffic, for example — but it also has its drawbacks, when, like Jorah (Kinsley Funari) in Beyond Repair, you find yourself in dire need of a rest room, you’re still far from home, and everything’s closed. At last salvation appears in the form of a brightly-lit gas station and Jorah gratefully pulls in and parks. Granted, the mechanic on duty (Jesse Dillon Sorrells) isn’t very friendly and the bathroom itself isn’t the cleanest — not exactly a shock — but any port in a storm.
Driving late at night has its advantages — almost no traffic, for example — but it also has its drawbacks, when, like Jorah (Kinsley Funari) in Beyond Repair, you find yourself in dire need of a rest room, you’re still far from home, and everything’s closed. At last salvation appears in the form of a brightly-lit gas station and Jorah gratefully pulls in and parks. Granted, the mechanic on duty (Jesse Dillon Sorrells) isn’t very friendly and the bathroom itself isn’t the cleanest — not exactly a shock — but any port in a storm.
Except Jorah soon wishes she’d just found a convenient tree instead, as the gas station quickly reveals itself to be a place of terrible horrors. Hands appear from nowhere to torment her and her pleas for mercy, or at least to be told what her attackers want from her, are ignored. But they certainly do want something, and it’s something that will make Jorah truly regret ever getting out of her car.
I wish I could say more about this short, but I don’t dare give away the ending, which was wonderfully done and subtly shocking. There’s a smooth and professional feel to the film, with my only real complaint being that at about eight minutes it felt too rushed, though even so I’ll give it four out of five. It cries out to be made into a feature-length movie, which is thankfully already the goal of writer / director Robbie Barnes, who also appears in the film. It’s a beautiful example of what can be done with even a small budget, and I look forward to seeing more of Ms. Barnes’ work someday soon.