1805 is a great love story complicated by a large amount of unnecessary narrative around it. Set just below the Mason/Dixon line, two runaway slaves are making their way North to the border and to freedom.

The cinematography is crisp, and the colors are rich, while still keeping the viewer within the time period of the movie, which can be difficult with many of today’s available technology making everything look the same, or too perfect (kudos to cinematographer Raz Birger and colorist C. Ryan Stemple).

Director Daniel H. Jacobson, who also wrote this short film, takes their time telling his story, which works a bit to the detriment of the movie, which comes in just short of a half-hour. There are a few lingering shots that could be cut for time, as well as the initial farm scenes, which are great for setting up the conflict of the story and establishing the time period, but don’t add much to the overall narrative. You get the gist of the story pretty quickly in the script shown on the screen as the film opens and could allow the characters fill in the blanks as they’re on the run. One positive though, is that the turn at the end, which I won’t give away, was unexpected and interesting.

Overall, a good short film well-told and acted that could use a little trimming, but otherwise worth the time investment for the viewer.