PROXiMITY

The scouts

Low-budget action thriller with a twist ending is exactly the kind of premise that makes me suspicious—it's been done a thousand times, and the surreal tone suggests someone's trying to hide a thin concept behind mood. I'd need to see what actually makes this resist the obvious.

A gritty mind-game structure positions itself within the lineage of puzzle-box thrillers, though whether Connolly's formal choices—editing rhythm, visual syntax—earn that comparison or merely echo it is the question that matters.

The surreal tonal shift in an 11-minute action frame is a dangerous move that only works if there's one precise choice—a cut, a performance beat, a sound design decision—that pivots the whole thing from genre exercise into something that breathes; that's what I'm watching for here.

Reviews

The concept is key here, and it's all about messing with your mind as they're messing with the characters' minds. There's a good twist at the end and more than anything it's just a well done, super low budget little short showcasing the talent of Connolly and his cast/crew.