The Check In

Plot Summary: A young man goes on a work experience placement to a hotel, only to discover that he will never leave. The Check-In is a science fiction film, produced by Ouch! Productions, which is an up and coming Production Company. Jenna Rydon, who has only made an opening to a short film before this short, directs the film well. The tale follows Dave, a Bellboy (Morgan Stolliday) on a normal day at work as he reflects and remembers his first day while uncovering a deep, dark secret. The first sign we see of this secret is the ever-present Receptionist. This tall, dark and sinister character has a simple personality, meaning he doesn't have one! The receptionist (Nick Orchard) is a permanent feature of the hotel, he never seems to move, and hes also the hotels representative. After having a conversation with one of the hotels guest (David Smith) Dave starts to realise that no one ever leaves the hotel. When he gets the hunch, he searches the hotel for the thousands of guests and their rooms, but he discovers that the hotels stairs go on and on forever. Frightened at the thought that he will never leave the hotel, Dave tries to escape through the entrance, only to discover that its a portal that takes the escapee back into the foyer. Nick creates the dark and chilling atmosphere of the hotel, but the poor acting of David damages the mood of the film, luckily hes not in the short for long and the editing was evidently used to skilfully hide as much of his poor display as possible.

Certificate: 12A Director/Screenwriter: Jenna Rydon Co-Director/Editor: Morgan Stewart-Norris Producer/Cameraman:Josh Nowlan Running Time: 4minutes 54 seconds The flash backs of Daves first day at the hotel take up the majority of the film, but the scenes at the beginning of the short let the audience know that Dave has accepted the fact that he cant leave. The voice over also adds something different to the film as it helps to make the film seem larger than it is, as it provides the view of the bellboy after he has been given hindsight this is really apparent in his line I wish Id never came here now, and it gives the audience an explanation to whats going on. Morgan Stolliday performs the Bellboy role to perfection in this, his first leading role in a short film as his reactions and shock to what is happening to his character look authentic despite having little time to develop. The film is made dark by the chilling character of the Receptionist, who sounds terrifying, and always stands in the same place. Nick Orchard, whos an experienced actor, has starred in many shorts and feature long films, and even stared in Skins (channel 4), plays the role of receptionist well adding a sense of dread and impending doom to the film,.

Verdict
The Check-In is a great watch; it has the thrill factor and excitement to keep the audience members pined in their seats. The Check-In is hopefully the first of many films from: Ouch! Productions

Star Rating