2095

Troy Romeo takes a shot at this sci-fi romance short tale and hits the nail right on the head. He packs more into a 24-minute short than most people can muster in 90 minutes. 2095 is the story of a computer code developer who falls in love with someone who works with him. Westley (Jordan Rennick) is under pressure from his boss (who monitors his every move both at home and at work, even going so far as timing his bathroom breaks) to complete a special project, which keeps evolving during the film. Westley and Shannon (Christina Cindrich) get involved despite their respective workplace restrictions. But not everything is as it seems. By the end we are left with a story completely turned on its head, and characters that are not who they appear to be.

Troy’s movie (he both wrote and directed) could easily translate to a full Hollywood feature, with themes including repression, love, angst, wanting, and individualism, 2095 could have an appeal to not only sci-fi enthusiasts, but also to the drama crowd. The film is a love story, but it works on many other levels. It reminds me somewhat of THE MATRIX, but with much less martial arts.

It’s shot very well with great visuals and effects. There are a few close-up shots that I could do without, but I can appreciate a few bad shots with a story that works this well. Good sound and acting rounds out the film and if it were to be remade into something bigger, I would want to see the actors and actresses reprise their roles rather than have them recast with more Hollywood types. If you have an option to see this movie the next time you’re lucky enough to see it play online, or at a film festival, spend the extra couple of dollars for a ticket. You certainly won’t be disappointed.