Synopsis:
Dan spends his every waking hour tortured by the negative voice in his head, until he learns something shocking that allows him to break free.
When I think of the inner dialogue that goes on in my head, I usually think about how much cooler and sophisticated I sound up there compared to how I actually sound. The voice is usually correct about most things and is usually trying to steer me in the safest direction, whether too ambitious at times or not. However, listening to it usually pays off… if I listen. Alternatively, what if it was the opposite? What if that voice was the anti you? How would you function if that voice berated you, shamed you, and at times controlled you physically? The Voice in Your Head, a narrative short, takes you on that journey and personifies depression and/or anxiety in a creative way that contextualizes what many experience on a daily basis. It immediately felt similar to Fight Club to me, with one character or voice dominating the other while possibly being part of the same person.
The story wants to convey that sometimes all it takes for someone to climb out of their depression is for someone to acknowledge their condition and treat them like they exist. However, also that it’s not something that goes away overnight. It can reappear just as easily as it dissipated and in some cases, the person may be so used to the negative voice that they become dependent one it. It begins as a dark comedy of sorts before taking a serious turn that led to a discussion about mental health at my house. The fact that this short resulted in a full-blown conversation about it’s topic and how it was presented fully reinforced my initial thoughts about it. Other than some of the acting lacking a bit, I found The Voice in Your Head to be great.
Plot & Pace
The story follows Dan during an average workday as he constantly getting verbal beatdown by the voice in his head. He has suffered in silence for an abundance of time while coworkers have ignored his issues. Today is the day things change for Dan. This short’s pacing done very well and balanced.
Characters & Chemistry
The chemistry between the tortured Dan (Lewis Pullman) and the torturer Jim (Mat Wright) was great. Jim really had zero cares to give while he made Dan feel like the most insignificant person. For me, the performance that was lacking was that of Julia (Trian Long Smith). Her performance felt a bit empty and not as compassionate as it should have been.
The SXSW film entry, The Voice in Your Head is available now on Prime Video. Enjoy and stay safe.
Director: Graham Parkes
Writer: Graham Parkes
Rated: 16+
Runtime: 12 min
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Senior Critic. Observing the human race since 1988.
