Set in the fictionalized 1960s, just after the Kennedy assassination and during the height of the flying saucer fever that seemed to accompany the few decades after the creation of the atomic bomb, is the short film THE ATOMIC DREAM directed and written by Angad Aulakh and starring Guy Kent and Marchand Storch.

Aulakh sets the tone and time-period of their film perfectly in the opening moments of the movie, showing newsreels of the death of Lee Harvey Oswald at the hands of Jack Ruby, and then juxtaposing that with news footage decrying flying saucers being seen all over the world.

The mood created is immediate, visceral, and the imagery is fantastic. Sophia, played by Storch is obviously not playing with a full deck of cards as she speaks to teddy bear while pouring herself a drink. When her son Frank (Kent) comes by to check on his mother, he gets caught up in her world-ending conspiracy theories he believes she’s getting from watching television all day.

The ominous warnings don’t sit well with Frank, and he becomes more belligerent the further he feels his mother slipping into madness.

The ending is a little reminiscent of CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, but in some ways better in the way the payoff is handled.

The movie accomplishes a lot with its story and characters in the ten minutes of runtime. THE ATOMIC DREAM is a wonderful example of what can be done with two actors in one location with a little imagination.