‘Flashback’ Review (Netflix)

Stars: Jemma Moore, Amar Chadha-Patel, Haley Bishop, Malik Ibheis, Maya Graham, Teddy Linard, Scroobius Pip | Written and Directed by Jed Shepherd

A yoga instructor, after a violent attack at her home, sees flashbacks of her life and begins a frantic race through her past to try to save her boyfriend.

Fresh off his segment in Scare Package II: Rad Chad’s Revenge, writer/director Jed Shepherd has made this short film centred around a question time travel media has long explored; if you could travel back to the past, would you change it? That is something yoga instructor Jess (Jemma Moore) must reckon with after a home invasion leaves the lives of her and her boyfriend Scott (Amar Chadha-Patel) in peril.

Seeing her life flashing before her eyes, Jess finds herself able to control where she ends up and uses the opportunity to try altering the past. It is an effective idea for a tale rooted in tragedy, as the couple’s plans for the future are cut short regardless of whether it is due to a horrific incident or of their own choosing. Effectively conveying this heartbreak are the central cast, whether it is through the adults reckoning with the events or the child versions grappling with what must be done.

With such an effective tale woven, it is unfortunate that it feels constrained by the 16-minute runtime. Perhaps that is why the dialogue can take one out of the story, feeling unnecessarily crammed into scenes because there is not enough breathing room given. Within it all is an impressively designed spectre called Dr. Bones, who is an ominous figure that is related to the character’s childhood. What remains is a decent short which carries the potential for a feature-length film.

*** 3/5

Flashback is available to stream on Netflix now.