Synopsis
Jonathan is out of place in his drama school. Pigeonholed and typecast in parts, Jonathan decides to demonstrate to his peers their prejudices during a class role-play exercise.
Powerful and Thought-Provoking
Written and directed by Mitch Kalisa, Play It Safe is a thought-provoking confrontation on racial prejudices in the arts. Jonathan (Jonathan Ajayi), the sole black student in his school’s drama program, doesn’t quite fit in amongst his classmates. He’s frequently cast in stereotypical, disrespectful roles. And as the class participates in an acting exercise where each student randomly draws a card with an animal on it and has to perform as that animal, he ends up selecting the worst possible animal to mimic. And so, he uses his performance to force his classmates to reflect on their prejudices. Ajayi’s performance is breathtaking. The sheer amount of emotion he communicates through his facial expressions and body language is beyond impressive. And that’s true for the short as a whole, actually. While there is some dialogue, the short mainly relies on the actors’ physical performances to communicate its ideas.
Honestly, Play it Safe is a bit of an uncomfortable watch, particularly towards the end. Intentionally so, though. Jonathan fully commits to his performance, and his commitment forces his classmates to reflect upon their own prejudices. And during Jonathan’s performance, Kalisa focuses the camera squarely on the faces of Jonathan’s classmates. Through their faces, we see their palpable discomfort and their shame. It’s uncomfortable, and it makes us think about our own reactions to what’s going on. So, the uncomfortableness is the point. We should be uncomfortable about the way we pigeonhole people, and the stereotypes we try to place on top of them. Play It Safe is one of those shorts that seems destined to spark plenty of conversation. It’s a short that forces audiences to examine their own complicity in upholding these prejudices. And it’s deeply affecting.
Rating: 4.5/5
Play It Safe is available as part of “Short Films Competition 5” at AFI Fest 2021.
Before we let you go, we have officially launched our merch store! Check out all of our amazing apparel when you click here and type in GVN15 at checkout for a 15% discount!
Make sure to check out our podcasts each week including Geek Vibes Live, Top 10 with Tia, Wrestling Geeks Alliance and more! For major deals and money off on Amazon, make sure to use our affiliate link!