The Call

Meanwhile, in the wonderful world of short films, there’s always new talent looking to fashion a calling card; Ryan Jafri’s commendably brief drama does a neat job of making an impression. Shot in black and white, with only one character, it makes a virtue of humble origins; it’s a short, sharp shock that makes good on its promise.

Tom Martin plays an un-named man who is sitting alone when the phone rings; his boss has demands that he’s struggling to fulfil. There’s a large clock that ticks down the seconds; our protagonist is racing against time, and the voice on the other end of the phone isn’t too happy with the results so far. But what is going on here? The final shot changes what we’ve seen to date…

The Call has a great visual look, Jafri gets a great assist from cinematographer Aarman Virani, who creates a world that has a Kafka-esque feel, and the punch-line gives the venture a Twilight Zone feel. You can literally feel the walls closing in as the central character bargains, accuses, apologises and twists in the wind; the year in 1965, but the situation will be familiar enough to lockdown audiences.

The Call’s production was postponed twice due to virus restrictions, but it still feels like a short that both reflects current anxieties and taps into a sense of urban paranoia that’s been going for decades. Well played by Martin, it’s a ten minute film that doesn’t overstay its welcome, and promises good things to come from Jafri. I’ll post a link if and when it’s online, but for now, the director has provides the following information to run alongside the review…

The Call is currently traveling the film festival circuit; therefore, it is not readily available online. If you’d like to watch the film please contact director Ryan Jafri and request a private link. He can be reached at ryjafri@yahoo.com.