Comcast had this film under a category called "NBCU Short Film Fest". I watched all the films and found this one the most satisfying.
The cinematography was good, providing a somewhat stark background for this dark story that is mostly left to the imagination of the viewer. From the start, one feels he is in the early winter environs of a wooded, rural community. Background music is deftly added in only a couple of scenes.
With an economy of words, the viewer is drawn into the story of a young girl, Sara, whose bleak, solitary existence is brightened by the appearance of another girl, Holly, a pastor's daughter who is carefree and spontaneous. Holly says, "There's nothing wrong with rattlesnakes, if you know how to handle them." We are not sure if this is a reference to Pentecostal practices or just a statement that reveals her willingness to take chances.
Being a short film, tone is an important element. "Rattlefly" succeeds in creating a muted tone--through quiet vignettes--that is reflective of an isolated, rural lifestyle. The influence of religion in a rural community is a theme that is both overtly explored and inherent to the subject.
The two main actors--Maren Lord as Sara, and Sadie Scott as Holly--are both new to film. The core of this film rests on their performances, and they are convincing.
I loved the ending's ambiguity, which has not so much to do with morality, but psychology.
