A BFI Film Institute project,  Oisín-Tomas Ó Raghallaigh's involving 11-minute short film Hindsight sets itself inside England's drug ravaged prison system to tell the tale of Tony (Samuel James), a man who's made one too many bad decisions and trying to fight desperately for a new relationship with his daughter, Tilly (Mia-Rose Lightfoot), visiting him along with a worn out and wary Nikki (Lizzie Stanton), his former partner who is rightfully suspicious that the longtime drug addict has truly changed his ways. 

Hindsight is a student short film created by a group of 16-19 year olds at the National Film and Television School in England, though you'd be hard-pressed to recognize it as a student short with its mature, intelligent story created by Dora Cowper and Ó Raghallaigh's top notch direction that transcends that of more than a few Hollywood directors who shall remain nameless. 

Samuel James is riveting as the bruised and obviously battered Tony, serving up a performance that is intimate and disciplined and elicits the kind of sympathy that you can't help but think you might regret later. Equally fantastic is Lizzie Stanton as Nikki, offering up a performance that manages to be infused with just the right amount of heart while surrounding itself with the walls of a young woman who's been hurt one too many times and isn't about to take down those walls easily. The rounded out cast of Mia-Rose Lightfoot and Alex Walton also excels. 

Weaving in flashbacks, which can be gimmicky but works here, Hindsight sets a sparse tone that works parallel to the film's sparse, barren production design and the one room, prison setting that feels like it should - institutionalized hopelessness. 

There's something exciting about getting the chance ot check out up-and-coming student filmmakers, an opportunity made even more exciting when they're from one of the globe's finest film schools. There's simply no doubt that Hindsight should have no problem finding a home on the indie fest circuit, certainly in Europe and stateside should they choose to go that route. For more information on the film, visit its Facebook page linked to in the credits and watch for a screening near you. Hindsight is definitely worth checking out and it'll be exciting to watch this cast and crew in the future. 

© Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic