‘Glass Cabin’ Short Film Review
Stars: Revell Carpenter, David Mar Stefansson | Written and Directed by Can Türedi
Glass Cabin is a short film written and directed by Can Türedi, a Turkish filmmaker who began by making music videos and documentaries. Glass Cabin, a mere fifteen minute short-film, features just two characters and sticks to minimal locations, telling a short but effective tale filled with suspense and intensity.
Revell Carpenter (Cypress, Cake) plays Scarlett, a tennis player who is taking part in a tennis camp somewhere in New York. She’s rented a cabin made from glass (right?) while she’s part of the retreat, it’s an isolated place and she’s the only person staying there. The other character is David, played by David Mar Stefansson in his debut acting roll, a handyman who appears a little peculiar to Scarlett, unsettling her. A storm occurs, and the roads are closed, causing Scarletts isolation to only increase, and the concern over this strange man creeping over her. In a nutshell, that’s what Glass Cabin is, a story of an isolated woman who is unsure about this fella who is stranded near her. The film is wonderfully acted, especially by Carpenter, as Scarlett. She presents a performance of fear and concern without taking it to an unbelievable level, and I thought, especially with limited dialogue on offer, she managed, along with the odd and tense work from Stefansson, as David, to bring an air of dread and potential paranoia to the film.
I was mightily impressed with the acting work from the two actors in Glass Cabin, and Türedi’s vision is realised through strong confident direction and visuals that highlight the isolation and anxiety that echo through the fifteen minute picture. There’s a question hanging in the air throughout the film about whether or not Scarlett’s mind is playing tricks on her through her boredom and feeling of being stuck in the middle of nowhere, yet there’s a definite thriller vibe too, poking at the possibility of David perhaps being more than a guy who is simply stranded because of a storm. Does he, indeed, wish harm upon her?
It’s unpredictable and atmospherically intriguing, keeping you curious and hooked for its short life. The location is beautiful and the whole thing looks slick, smooth and minimalistic, bordering on the mundane to bring out that dastardly feeling of seclusion and tedium. Can Türedi created something very good with Glass Cabin, and I’m interested to see what he does next after seeing this.
**** 4/5
