Fixation

Once again Picklethugs takes on a subject with maturity far beyond what's expected for their age. A teenage girl's obsession with a boy takes her away from the person who needs her attention most - her dementia-suffering mother. What a very dramatic concept! It's a double-edged sword as even though it has so much potential for conflict and poignance, it feels like an idea that's too big for a 6-7 minute short. This idea needs time to develop, and I felt a little disappointed with all the lost opportunities. The mother and daughter could be thrown into deeper peril. Exposition could have come from action rather than dialogue, and the daughter's resolution could have come through a climactic conflict, rather than a deus ex machina at the park. The highlights were a great convincing performance from our young lead - reminded me of Arya Stark for some reason :) ... And as usual, put together very solidly in the technical side of things. I'm being extra thorough with my criticism not because I think it's a bad film, but because I see the most potential in this team. You guys regularly punch above your weight and I'm sure I'll see you at the top very soon!

I was really impressed with this film. When it started I thought it was going to be just another teen obsession movie but it stepped well above that and delivered a heartfelt movie with great acting and a nice story arc. Possibly slightly rushed with the 7min time limit but I thought the resolution was lovely. Well done team, you continue to impress each year.

Once again Picklethugs takes on a subject with maturity far beyond what's expected for their age. A teenage girl's obsession with a boy takes her away from the person who needs her attention most - her dementia-suffering mother. What a very dramatic concept! It's a double-edged sword as even though it has so much potential for conflict and poignance, it feels like an idea that's too big for a 6-7 minute short. This idea needs time to develop, and I felt a little disappointed with all the lost opportunities. The mother and daughter could be thrown into deeper peril. Exposition could have come from action rather than dialogue, and the daughter's resolution could have come through a climactic conflict, rather than a deus ex machina at the park. The highlights were a great convincing performance from our young lead - reminded me of Arya Stark for some reason :) ... And as usual, put together very solidly in the technical side of things. I'm being extra thorough with my criticism not because I think it's a bad film, but because I see the most potential in this team. You guys regularly punch above your weight and I'm sure I'll see you at the top very soon!

I was really impressed with this film. When it started I thought it was going to be just another teen obsession movie but it stepped well above that and delivered a heartfelt movie with great acting and a nice story arc. Possibly slightly rushed with the 7min time limit but I thought the resolution was lovely. Well done team, you continue to impress each year.