Written and directed by Nathan Sellers, weeks after her disappearance, a local teen returns to the places she knew best, while an unseen hand holds the secret of why she may never be found. Starring: Sara Hallisey, Guy Ventoliere, Mimi Laquerre and Christer Holmquist.
One of the most interesting things about How the Lonely Keep is that you can very easily say that Nathan Sellers creates a truly spooky, eerie atmosphere but at the same time, those don’t feel like the appropriate words to describe it. That’s because Sellers not only builds that ominous foundation, he also does it in a way which has grace and composure. It’s thoughtfully crafted so to simply call it spooky falls short of doing it justice.
You can easily see the level of thought that went into How the Lonely Keep, with not just the stylistic choices but also how it appeals to the audience. Sellers demonstrates a keen awareness of what viewers want, bringing through that endlessly popular theme of true crime, and adding touches that are reminiscent of Presence, Weapons, maybe a little bit of Sharp Objects and Gillian Flynn, and a hint of David Lowery. It’s easily compelling but it also doesn’t cheaply spend time on the grisly details or explore them in a traditional way. That was a really great choice as it elevates the atmosphere to focus entirely on how the outside can look very ordinary while what’s beneath can be monstrous.
Those choices give it a decidedly, and purposefully, casual darkness, which is a clever way to get under the skin of viewers more effectively, rather than employing blunt tactics of blood or gore. The narration from Sara Hallisey adds a hugely melancholy note, her delivery is excellent. It’s nicely even noted, and it holds a quiet rage and disdain, as well as a deep sadness, which is gripping. Hallisey anchors How the Lonely Keep, her voice work goes hand in hand with the visual to create the film’s suavely sinister presence.
A visual that’s very well put together by Sellers, both as director and editor, along with cinematographer Steven Schloss. The aesthetic has such a clean look, added to the slow moving shots and the great editing work, they bring you further into the moment. It creates more of an immersive experience, as Sellers is asking the audience to seek out the details, to really take in the visual rather than handing you every element of the story on a plate. It holds an elegant, well considered simplicity, understanding that you don’t always need physicality in scenes, as long as you’ve got a strong atmosphere, you can scale it back. A choice which can ultimately end up with much more impactful results, as is clearly the case here.
How the Lonely Keep is engaging, dark and melancholy. All of the choices which Nathan Sellers made to tell this story show such a great deal of consideration and awareness. To go in with a light touch, to let the darkness naturally exude from this story, and be able to effortlessly draw the audience in. It’s really well executed to demonstrate how from the outside everything can look perfectly normal, while violence and evil sit quietly below the surface. It’s well shot, edited, narrated and has a terrific score sitting atop it, it’s a superb short film.
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