Writer/director Michael Carolan's 10-minute sci-fi short Metal Health is a thoughtful, engaging short film that was shot over the course of one day on a shoestring budget, though you'll be hard-pressed to tell as much given Carolan's obvious knowledge about how to work around such challenges and, in fact, to use them to his advantage.

Starring Rob Earley and Martin O'Sullivan, Metal Health tells the story of a young worker who is sent to be mentally assessed after expressing disillusionment with his job. It's an evaluation that, as one might expect, reveals something far more sinister. 

Carolan's own black-and-white lensing for the film is atmospheric and sublime, practically immersing the viewer in Earley's techno melancholia that appears of tremendous concern to O'Sullivan's examining Dr. Weldon. Both actors do tremendous work here, Earley capturing Tom's disengagement while O'Sullivan never quite revealing the cards until everything unfolds. 

Carolan also contributes the film's tremendous original music, while Shona Ruddy's make-up works nicely alongside Carolan's visual effects. 

Metal Health plays out at a quick and breezy 10-minutes, though it's an engaging 10 minutes and you'll definitely find yourself involved in the simple, mildly predictable story that is pulled off quite nicely. For more information on the film, be sure to visit its Facebook page linked to in the credits. 

Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic