Rating: ★★★

Mason and Jay Save the World is a feel-good short film written and directed by , which might be a welcome change from some of the darker shorts I’ve reviewed in the past.

The film follows brothers Mason (Ethan Wood) and Jay (Sean Ruddy) who are home alone and playing with their father’s drone in the back garden. The relationship between the two brothers is convincing, and full of witty one-liners to quickly introduce us to their dynamic.

Whilst they’re flying the drone, the pair encounter something strange in the drone’s in-flight camera. This opens up an opportunity for the crew working on the film to show off their special effects skills, which are good given the small budget they had.

Derek Sellens did some great work on the special effects, and when they’re teamed with Roman Soto’s score it makes for some very entertaining action sequences from the perspective of two young boys.

I really enjoyed the costume design too, which felt like it was inspired by classic sci-fi programmes like Stargate SG-1. It’s not a sci-fi film without some fun costume design, and you definitely get that here.

Darcy Russel’s fun costumes are a great addition, and helps to up the drama in the film’s key scenes. You’ll see what I mean when you get to watch it for yourself.

Running at just 11 minutes, Mason and Jay Save the World is an entertaining short that’s incredibly easy to watch. This one is suitable for all ages too, unlike some of the films I’ve reviewed on here.

If sci-fi is a favourite genre of yours, this feels like the perfect choice and might even give you a welcome dose of nostalgia if it’s been a lifelong interest of yours. Mason and Jay are fuelled by their love of all things sci-fi, and the film feels like a love letter to the genre.

There’s also some special homages to the Star Wars franchise, which seems appropriate given the fact we’ve just had our last cinematic installment (for now) in the form of The Rise of Skywalker.

This film comes highly recommended for fans of the sci-fi genre and for those who might want to introduce their children to the world of short films. Just make sure your keep an eye on your drone, if you have one!

I had a lot of fun with this myself, taking me back to my childhood when I used to play outside and immerse myself in my favourite film universes.

Mason and Jay Save the World is currently doing the festival route, but you can watch a preview clip here:

 

 

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