Nashville Film Festival 56: "Brief Somebodies: Review

Aldrin Bundoc in "Brief Somebodies," courtesy of Nashville Film Festival

Despite its 14-minute runtime, Brief Somebodies, written and directed by Andy Reid, delivers a striking exploration of performance and the psychological toll of embodying another’s experience.

The short examines the complexity of recreating a sexual assault on camera, underscoring the importance of intimacy coordinators in an industry where actors can become deeply entangled in the stories they tell. 

The weight of the piece is amplified by its autobiographical roots, as one of the actors revisits his own trauma.

Aldrin Bundoc leads with an excellent performance, capturing the distance and detachment that can arise when someone is forced to re-experience painful memories. Opposite him, Matt O’Connor brings quiet restraint, embodying a man who shoulders the moral burden of enacting violence on a colleague for the sake of art.

Cinematographer Colin Cameron elevates the production with a visual language that both misdirects and unsettles. His work sharpens the film’s final act, where tension peaks through carefully framed perspectives and a clever misdirection. 

From the glow of computer-lit close-ups to stark overhead shots of Bundoc draped across the rehearsal floor the film is just as visually stunning as it is impactful.

The muted color grading further reinforces the bleakness of the short, heightening the emotional impact.

Unflinching yet compelling, “Brief Somebodies” balances discomfort and intimacy, offering a raw look at the costs of becoming someone else, even for just a moment.

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This article was written by Zach Watkins.