Rating: ★★★★★

This week, I’m throwing it all the way back to 2008 with a review of one of my favourite short films. I recently re-watched The Black Hole after all these years and really wanted to share it, and my thoughts, with you all. My first encounter with this short was during a Film Studies class back in Sixth Form, so this brings some welcome nostalgia for me.

The Black Hole is simple, but perfect, in its execution. We follow office worker, Charlie, as he works alone during the night shift. Visually, the film is devoid of any bright colours, and this choice of faded greys and blues really emphasises the tedium of Charlie’s job. It’s not a fun situation for anyone, not even the audience. This, teamed with the lack of any non-diegetic sound and dialogue, perfectly sets the scene. We’ve all done boring jobs in our time and this film does a brilliant job at reminding us how we felt during that time.

When the photocopier in Charlie’s office prints out a large, black circle, he soon releases he’s able to use this as a portal to reach objects that were otherwise inaccessible. At first, he uses it to steal some chocolate from a vending machine, then soon realises he can go much further than that. Actor Napoleon Ryan is excellent alone on screen, and even without any dialogue he makes it very obvious what Charlie is thinking. I really loved his role in this film as his actions speak louder than words ever could.

Whilst it’s only 3 minutes in length, The Black Hole shows us just how quickly we can be consumed by greed. It is fairly predictable in its narrative, but still an excellent cautionary tale about the consequences of getting too greedy. This is a film you can watch in the time it takes to make yourself a cup of tea, so I absolutely recommend giving it a go. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

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