Perspectives (2023)

A young soldier (Joy Rieger) on a public bus notices a mysterious man (Carlos Gharzuzi), one that has been staring at her and her partner (Carmel Bin) for minutes. When she takes it upon herself to approach the man that she believes to be a terrorist, she finds that it’s her against the world as everyone else on the bus watches and streams the events on social media. Perspectives tackles just that, the importance of perspective.

It’s not often that I find myself glued to the screen, unable to look away from the things happening in front of me. There’s always a distraction of some kind, always a random thought that pops into my head and steals me away from the film for a second or two. While watching Perspectives, however, I found it impossible to look away, to think about anything other than the film. I knew exactly where the film was taking me, it was made obvious–but all that I believed to be true is twisted and manipulated into something spectacular, far different than what I could have expected. In a film named Perspectives, it’s obvious what the message is here–and I was right about that. Writer-Director Neer Shelter wants viewers to understand the importance of perspective and the effects that it can have on a situation, and it’s made abundantly clear throughout the course of the film.

The film opens to the soldier and her partner (and these are the only titles/names they are given during the film) having a nice day, recording their makeout sessions, and laughing at the people that they are making uncomfortable. The film begins in a lighthearted fashion, effectively avoiding drama for the most part through the first few minutes. In the background, however, during those opening moments, a radio broadcast can be heard, discussing the terrorist attacks that have been happening as of late–and that inserts something of a somber note in the background of the film. This juxtaposition lets viewers know early that while the film seems light and airy at the start, Perspectives will soon become heavy. Shelter prepares us early on for what is to come.

The ending of Perspectives isn’t cut and dry–we don’t know exactly what happens after the screen turns to black, we are only given a glimpse of what might be. Like the name suggests, it depends on our perspective of the situation in order for us to come to a conclusion, and everyone’s conclusion might be different. Shelter continues to play with the idea of perspective and how it can change a situation–and it makes the ending of Perspectives so much better than it would have been had it been neatly wrapped up.

Shelter’s storytelling ability is what ultimately leads Perspectives to success, the thing that has caused it to be considered for an Academy Award in 2024. From the juxtapositional tones to the open-ended conclusion, Perspectives is truly spectacular, and it’s my choice to win best live-action short.

Written & Directed by Neer Shelter.

Starring Joy Rieger, Carmel Bin, Carlos Gharzuzi, etc.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10