Review: short film ‘Canary,’ a tense psychological thriller

The war to hang onto one’s humanity lies at the heart of Taka Tsubota’s new short Canary. A psychological thriller by nature, the film asks the viewer to find the horror nestled deep within its emotional layers and fill in the missing puzzle pieces. Imagination is Tsubota’s greatest asset. What he accomplishes in under 20 minutes is a tense, moody, and striking work.

The setup is simple: Alan (Barron Leung) finds himself in the middle of an apocalypse. His cousin George (Kiyoshi Shishido) has gone for help and leaves Alan with his friends, a group of bullies who make Alan’s life a living hell. They berate him, shove him around, and make him eat beans off the dirty floor. It’s all texture to the grander picture Tsubota paints with vague, yet still pulsating, brushstrokes. What lies beyond the threshold in the wilderness is largely a mystery, but you’re so pulled into the story that you’re able to conjure up the most ghastly images yourself. Tsubota effectively utilizes sound and bright neons to convey the dread and the danger lurking outside.

As beasts circle around the cabin, tensions boil over inside. The group has long lost its humanity and decided that society’s decay is for the best. Only Alan barely hangs on. He’s on the edge but teeters ever so slightly. Leung’s powerful and nuanced performance gives the film a particular weight it wouldn’t have otherwise. He commands the screen, almost rending the heart from your chest.

Canary might not reinvent the wheel, but Taka Tsubota uses great storytelling tricks to prove he’s one helluva filmmaker. His camera work is intimate and compelling, worming into the minds of the characters. The talent he displays here is undeniable.

Canary makes its debut at this year’s LA Shorts International Film Festival this coming Monday (July 24)

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