A Son's Burden (2025)

-Written by Kyle Bain.

What would you do if you saw a ghost? Well, Frank (Daniel Martin Berkey) feels like he has when his son arrives home after years apart. When his son Vincent (Jim Thalman) enters, he’s asked to do something horrifying: end his father’s suffering. A Son’s Burden is a tragic look at a relationship between father and son. 

Overcome by darkness, A Son’s Burden is a visual feast in which Berkey and Thalman are presented the opportunity to show off their artistic and dramatic chops, an opportunity of which they take full advantage (but more on that later). The set is often consumed by darkness, a character in its own right, and that works to enhance the short film’s intensity and draw viewers further into the film. There’s more to the narrative than is initially apparent, and the darkness constantly reminds viewers of this harrowing truth, concealing something massive in its shadow, often becoming overbearing. The decision by Writer-Director Mark Clauburg to consume his set in darkness, making it challenging for viewers to fully make out the characters and much else, is a bold one--but one that plays a significant role in the film’s development and its success. 

Now, more on Thalman and Berkey. It feels as if the two were made to play these roles, ones steeped in trauma, passion, and pain. The two play off of one another like lifelong friends, understanding one another’s every move, every expression. 

I’ve known Berkey for some time at this point, and he’s stepped up to the plate and given viewers something enjoyable to chew on each and every time--but something about his portrayal of Frank feels different. A Son’s Burden sees Berkey fully embody Frank, seeing this character come to life in a way that is vibrant and charismatic, but in the most distressing ways imaginable. Berkey performs brilliantly in A Son’s Burden, accurately representing what this film is meant to express to viewers, strengthening the tone, and simply enveloping viewers in a world so uniquely different from the everyman, and yet so horrifyingly similar. 

Again, opposite Berkey is Thalman, who plays an equally extreme character in Vincent. To have two similar characters exist on screen throughout nearly the entirety of A Son’s Burden feels like overkill, especially in the case of Vincent and Frank. However, Thalman brings his own expertise to the table, and provides something different enough, but equally powerful. He, too, creates intensity that is ever present in the film and strengthens the film’s motifs and tones--but performs on something of a submissive note that helps to reel in the film, create balance, and allow it to remain accessible. 

A Son’s Burden has some issues that I felt hindered its ability to reach viewers and remain fluid and cohesive. There were a couple of times in which the film either faded to or abruptly shifted to black. While I feel that these instances were meant to act as exclamation points on certain segments of the film, I also felt that it fractured the flow of A Son’s Burden. Furthermore, there is a sudden shift in the narrative in each of those moments, and I would like to have seen some of the omitted events. As the film drives forward, it promises high intensity, which it delivers on, but cutting certain pieces of Frank and Vincent’s story almost negates the intensity that was promised so many times. 

Some personal preferences hindered my experience, but the decisions to fracture the narrative hindered A Son’s Burden. All in all, this is a powerful short film that, again, both mirrors our world and appears drastically different from it. Thalman and Berkey’s inspired performances are the heart and soul of the film, and the use of light ties everything together nicely and is ironically inviting as a result. 

Written & Directed by Mark Clauburg. 

Starring Jim Thalman, Daniel Martin Berkey, Shareen Mitchell, & Andrew Hopkins. 

7.5/10 = WORTH RENTING OR BUYING