SHEPHERD: A Reverent Tale Of Survival And Faith In Bryan Sloyer’s New Indie Action Short
Bryan Sloyer returned over the weekend with his latest action short, Shepherd. At just over twenty minutes and change minus end credits, it’s his longest short duration thriller to date, with performances by Kosey Baskin, Carrie Quinn, and Justin Chang.
Central to the narrative is a Biblically-inspired future dystopian tale of two post-war survivors trekking to a safe haven while contending with toxic air, and violent scavengers fending for themselves at any cost. Sloyer produced along with Andrew Franklin who are both hands-on for the stunts and fight action, with David Alacron as director of photography.
The cinematography is what I observed the most here as it compliments both the tone of the story, as well as the action. The central two-on-one fight sequence sees our players scuffling with blades, grappling and dodging every which way possible while trying to protect their oxygen tubes. It’s real edge-of-your-seat stuff from start to finish.
Barring the religious themes which won’t fly with everyone, myself included, Sloyer continues to mature as a director I hope to see flourish before long. It’s a poignant and powerful short tale with plenty escapist enjoyment. Enjoy this one on your lunchbreak!
