LAMBING SEASON | Omeleto

A teenager suspects his parents.


Joe, a young man growing up in the secluded North Yorkshire moors of England, discovers he might be the potential victim of a child kidnapping -- and his parents may not be who they seem.

This tense, disquieting short thriller may be only 17 minutes long, but with its taut pace and edgy tension, it packs an incredible amount of suspense and drama, luring viewers in with a mysterious premise and keeping them hooked as secrets unravel the deeper into the story they go.

Featuring just three actors -- each of whom gives a bravura performance -- the film takes advantage of its unique setting to create a sense of isolation and even claustrophobia. Rendered in beautiful photography, the moors become almost a fourth character, lending moodiness and foreboding with the dark roads and moonlit fields. The landscape possesses an almost mythic beauty -- but it's also where deep secrets are buried.

The precise control of plot -- and the mystery at the heart of these characters' stories -- is almost guaranteed to keep an audience invested. But the emotions underlying the extreme situation are actually quite universal: nearly every child confronts the fact that their parents aren't quite who they seem to be.


LAMBING SEASON. Courtesy of Jack Benjamin Gill at https://delavalfilm.com.