MAKE THE CALL | Omeleto
Фильм және анимация
Former best friends confront their differences after a pandemic.
MAKE THE CALL is used with permission from Chelsea Gonzalez. Learn more at chelseagonzalez.com.
Caro and Annie are meeting up at Caro's house after a long time apart. Formerly best friends, they became estranged after an pandemic changed the world permanently, affecting Caro's relationship with both her husband and her best friend.
Their reunion is awkward and tense, both from the strange rituals of socialization they now have to go through and their past conflict. As they settle down with wine, they finally confront the demons that drove them apart. But they discover that some chasms are too wide to ever be healed.
Directed by Chelsea Gonzalez and written by Sal Neslusan, this sly, tense short dystopian drama is something of a Trojan horse of a film, nesting layers of mystery and meaning in a story about a strained friendship between two women. It begins innocuously enough, observing a child in a backyard playing with dolls in what seems like an idyllic scene of innocence, imagination and family. But when the two estranged former best friends get together, it opens up a more disquieting register of the film, unveiling surprise after surprise as their conflict comes to the surface.
The world of the film seems innocuous and much like ours, but subtle signs alert eagle-eyed viewers that all isn't well. (One of these is a billboard alerting citizens to call the government when observing someone being "cold, aggressive, lethargic and lifeless.") When Caro and Annie meet after a long time apart, they have to take a test for certain conditions, and they make small talk about times "from before."
The buildup is darkly clever and disquieting, making their obvious interpersonal strain all the more strange and even eerie, and actors Sal Neslusan and Camille Chen deftly convey both the familiarity of long-time friends and the tension of their estrangement. As the former friends reacquaint themselves with one another, two mysteries begin to emerge. What exactly happened between these two estranged women and what has happened in the world?
The excellent writing and editing flash between a more volatile encounter between the women and their current conversation, fleshing out the former breach. As it turns out, both the state of the world changing and Caro's seemingly troubled relationship with her husband Bryan converged disastrously: Annie suspected Bryan was infected and wanted to make the required call to the government, but Caro fought Annie to protect her marriage and her family. And as the women hash out this past, they realize that they can't quite leave it behind.
Suspenseful, layered and excellently crafted, MAKE THE CALL rewards multiple viewings because its storytelling supports many layers of meanings. One of these is a sci-fi remixing of the global pandemic, reimagined in a popular genre context, a dystopian portrait of a world gone paranoid amid mass infection. But perhaps most tragically of all, it becomes a complex, powerfully subversive metaphor of someone trying to intervene when witnessing a friend trapped in a toxic relationship. It adroitly captures the layers of denial, protection and justification that those dealing with intimate partner violence often feel when confronted before they're ready -- and how deeply someone caught up in this dark dynamic will go to keep this status quo, at even the expense of her own life and the lives of the people who love her.
Пікірлер: 104
Hi all! I'm the director of Make the Call. I collaborated with my good friend Sal Neslusan on this project. She is both the writer and lead actress (the blonde). Happy to answer any questions! As with any film, it's all up to interpretation but something we talked a lot about is the difficult position someone is put in when they know their friend is in a 'bad' relationship. Is it better to 'Make the Call' on the partner, potentially sacrificing the friendship forever, or stay silent and keep your friendship strong. Hope you enjoy!
@amandeep87
27 күн бұрын
Excellent job. A fun yet thoughtful little short.
@eugenetswong
27 күн бұрын
I guess that might explain why you rushed through the fantasy/scifi elements of the film. I wanted to ask you about that, but maybe there is no need. Was this film inspired by your and her experiences?
@g.garcia7151
27 күн бұрын
That was excellent, very thought-provoking.
@salneslusan
27 күн бұрын
@@eugenetswong While writing, my inspiration came from reflecting on a time in my life when I pushed away friends who (rightly) didn't approve of a relationship I was in. In essence, I was "feeding the monster". Years later, when the pandemic hit, reported cases of domestic violence went up 30% worldwide, and Chelsea and I wanted to create something that evoked that all-too-common nightmare.
@eugenetswong
27 күн бұрын
@@salneslusan Thank you for sharing your experience. I appreciate it when creatives interact in the comment section. Thank you all for that. Congratulations on your success. It seems that you have touched the hearts of many people.
I think the "infection" is a metaphor for the excuses that are made for abusive partners and the friend being sacrificed at the end is an interpretation of when external parties try to intervene in abusive relationships and try to assist abused partners, how it usually backfires on them if it is met with resistance. Also, I low-key feel like the lead character set her friend up. Knowing her friend's character (caring for her/saviour complex) and how she could possibly react (interfering) and the charger also not being connected (provoking at her curiosity)... welp it was like dangling a carrot.
@highpriestessofmythal199
25 күн бұрын
I agree, especially the set up. Who else of their former friends were lured in...
@HookBeak_66
22 күн бұрын
Did you happen to read the drop-down synopsis of the film, it's quite lengthy & detailed which clearly outlines why the couple have been so secretive. Before reading the summary, I thought they were possibly vampires but that isn't the case.
@tebogosekhu7499
22 күн бұрын
@@HookBeak_66 No I didn't but I will have a look now :)
@anyclipwithmrraven1030
12 күн бұрын
great
Well done, the acting, the performance, the suspense, superb..
Full feature film now!!!
Well done. Well acted.
Incredible writing, acting and directing! Great job!
Domestic abuse really is a horror show.
@franklinauguste415
27 күн бұрын
Yes more men need to call cops on women they're so abusive at times .
@000aleph
25 күн бұрын
@@franklinauguste415 Ha, love you, bro.
That was really good. Well done.
6:27 What’s she supposedly doing to her nails?
@a.r.1186
27 күн бұрын
Pulling the skin around the cuticles. Some of us can't stop doing it despite the pain.
@aroundandround
26 күн бұрын
@@a.r.1186 Thanks, and ouch, sorry to hear.
@justingary5322
26 күн бұрын
Ow
@petevenuti7355
22 күн бұрын
There's pickers, cutters and what was the 3rd one?
@a.r.1186
22 күн бұрын
@@petevenuti7355 Pickers, Grinners, Lovers, Sinners? 😆
who cleans up a bloodsoaked mess in heels though...
@storiesincolour5205
24 күн бұрын
A classy girl...
MAKE THE CALL (2023) the blonde actress looks very familiar but I don't see anything I recognize on her IMDb list... but it's not infallible of course, although more reliable than it was years ago.
@lovelife2day
27 күн бұрын
I agree with you but I can't place from where I've seen her before as well.
@bigseanprice
16 күн бұрын
she was stiffler's mom
@petescare13
14 күн бұрын
@@bigseanprice similar look but this actress is younger than the one from AMERICAN PIE, who did a lot of TV and today seems to be doing a lot of voiceover work for animated projects.
@petescare13
14 күн бұрын
The director joins the discussion here in the comments section.
Suspenseful!
Didn't catch the gas masks on the hat stand first time around
Awesome acting performances from everyone 😎
So was her husband a werewolf???
@eugenetswong
27 күн бұрын
13:05 It seems that he is a werewolf. I thought that he was a vampire, but probably not.
@bigseanprice
16 күн бұрын
how on earth did you think that?? no fur
@Deborahekeson
12 күн бұрын
I thought he was some kind of zombie
What happened at the end?
@bigseanprice
16 күн бұрын
it appears OJ was hiding in the bathroom?? i dunno. i dont get it and didnt make much sense.
@hank1519
16 күн бұрын
@@bigseanprice Thank you!
I liked this but I have no idea what happened. Can someone help me out?
@stevencurrie
28 күн бұрын
I think the man was like a werewolf, where he turns into a killer at night.
@sgold989
28 күн бұрын
I think the husband had the friend for dinner...
@therealJamieJoy
28 күн бұрын
zombie like infection was an allegory for domestic violence.
@pamlawrence7565
27 күн бұрын
Ha Ha I thought it was just me I DONT GET IT I HAVE WATCHED IT TWICE AND STILL I DON'T GET IT 😅😅
@eugenetswong
27 күн бұрын
@@therealJamieJoy Are you sure? If he's infected, then it makes it look like it's not his fault.
Long way around the barn…
Zayum
What comes to mind is curiosity killed the cat 🤔. Did the wife sacrifice her friend on purpose?
@charlenerobertson-zb4dn
26 күн бұрын
I don't think so. The friend was too curious and upright for her own good.
@arualblues_zero
23 күн бұрын
@@charlenerobertson-zb4dn Maybe at some level. She made it a point to take her phone and not charge it.
And…?
Mayhaps a little opaque, but still effectively put together. I'd still like to know how they're going to cover up that murder.
@denismortell5483
28 күн бұрын
You can pitch the idea ‘Make the Call 2: the authorities’, we love a good sequel with more action!
@MisterG2323
28 күн бұрын
@@denismortell5483 😁
@tobe-you-tube6612
27 күн бұрын
They will probably make someone else accused so their lovely family can live happily while an innocent is diving deeply.
@eugenetswong
27 күн бұрын
@@denismortell5483 Are you a producer of the film?
@shirley_valente
24 күн бұрын
Exactly my thoughts, what did they do to the body and how are they gonna cover the murder up?
🤨 So odd.
what
@useyourheadset
27 күн бұрын
@youtubehelp this person needs help
...... Weeiiird just saying
🧟♂️🧟♂️🧟♂️🧟♂️
Dr. Fauci strikes again😱
Kamala Harris started doing shorts.
@bigseanprice
16 күн бұрын
there it is
Starting appropriately with "those dealing with intimate partner violence", but then showing your true colors with "even the expense of HER own life". Well, intimate partner violence is initiated about equally often by women as it is by men. The most violent relationships women participate in are lesbian. The fact that we see virtually only the female victim - male abuser side reveals a deep bias in society against men.
@bigseanprice
16 күн бұрын
ummm, no. it was a zombie movie, bro lady. stop with weird deep meanings
@000aleph
15 күн бұрын
@@bigseanprice Read the description