Recesses (2025)

-Written by Kyle Bain. 

2025 HOLLYSHORTS FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW!

Plagued by visions of the past, ummm…present, erm…future?, Bailey (Charles John Wilson) is forced to wait with his school’s secretary, Sherry (Solia Cates), after getting caught drawing lewd pictures in class. Recesses follows the two aforementioned characters as they navigate the mystery that is Bailey’s life, analyzing the implications of what these drawings could mean and how to fix these mysterious issues. 

It’s incredibly challenging to follow Recesses, as the film often consists of fractured visuals, providing only miniscule details of what goes on behind the scenes in Bailey’s life. Furthermore, Shelly remains the prominent focus throughout the course of Recesses–further separating viewers from Bailey’s mysterious life, and making it that much more challenging to effectively analyze his journey through his short time on earth. Writer-Director Dylan Trupiano shrouds his film in mystery as a way to tantalize viewers, forcing them to grasp at straws, and to follow the breadcrumbs he does provide, in the hopes of solving the mystery that is this young man. 

What manages to best immerse viewers in Recesses is the film’s set. Nearly the entirety of the film, with the exception of those visions, takes place in a school. I have worked in schools for over a decade, and they aren’t typically very welcome places. That’s not to say that students don’t often find a surrogate home in their place of education, but the walls are often monochromatic, with the rest of the building being just as uniform and hospital-like. Beyond that interesting truth, schools have the potential to become increasingly eerie as the days wanes on and the exaggerated lighting fades to nothingness. Trupiano takes full advantage of all of this, immersing viewers in a building that is all of the above, but interestingly claustrophobic as well. The hallway that is, again and again, used as the doorway between inside and out is dark, narrow, and uninviting. Recesses utilizes this hallway as a way to peer into Bailey’s existence, but, even more to feel his pain–even if we don’t know what has caused that pain. The set is completely immersive–and Trupiano utilizes every inch of what he has available, creating something gorgeously creepy. 

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: one of my greatest concerns when watching a film featuring a young actor is whether or not that actor can effectively carry a film, or at least supplement those more seasoned actors surrounding them. It’s clear that Wilson possesses a level of talent not often seen in actors quite so young. Recesses employs this young man, and utilizes his talents in a way that not only allows viewers to see and appreciate his talent, but so that he plays a pivotal role in the narrative, the emotion, and the overarching suspense that exists throughout. 

Recesses is a short, tight film that analyzes the deepest, darkest places of a young boy’s mind. Furthermore, it invites viewers into that boy’s mind, begging them to investigate and try to uncover the truth behind all that happens throughout the course of this film. Led by strong performances, and effectively brought to life using the simplistic, but immersive set, Recesses presents as a discomforting journey into the unknown that is sure to confuse and intrigue.

Written & Directed by Dylan Trupiano. 

Starring Solia Cates, Charles John Wilson, Bryant Caroll, Jeremy Roth-Rose, Ruth Crawford, etc. 

9/10 = DROP EVERYTHING AND WATCH IT NOW