Undeletable (2025)

-Written by Kyle Bain. 

Plagued by the burden of telling her father’s long-time mistress about his passing, Emma (Sophia Di Martino) must determine how to leave a voicemail for that aforementioned mistress. Once she realizes that she’s made a brutal mistake, she must attempt to backtrack and fix the issue. Undeletable is a story of overcoming conflict, but coming to terms with the fact that you can’t change the past. 

One shot is all that viewers see throughout Undeletable. No cuts, no transitions, nothing other than the continued close up of Emma attempting to come to terms with not only her father’s death, but the aftermath of her passing on that news to a mysterious woman. The camera is often intrusive, making viewers privy to every bit of emotion that Emma is forced to experience in this short time–and by avoiding any cuts or transitions, the emotion becomes more raw, more visceral, and more accessible. Di Martino is brilliant in her performance, but more on that later. Undeletable is emotionally heavy, unrelenting in that regard, and the constant, unwavering exposure to the film’s only character makes this possible. 

Di Martino is most known for her time on the Disney+ show Loki, a show on which she played a wildly dynamic character that had the ability to shift tonally from episode to episode. Emma is not unlike her character, Sylvie, from Loki, as Di Martino is asked, again and again, to shift between emotions, creating emotion at the drop of a hat and allowing viewers the opportunity to appreciate and understand the depth of the character and the trying situation in which she’s found herself. Di Martino’s Emma is both rigid and fluid in her emotional presentation, reflecting how she’s hardened after the news that her father has been unfaithful for years, but expressing the reality of how she inevitably slips back and forth between the emotional corners of herself. Undeletable presents Di Martino the chance to put her full talent on display, and she takes full advantage of the opportunity. 

Black and white is often used to lower the budget of a film, and while I certainly believe that was a factor in deciding to film Undeletable void of color, I also feel that Writer-Directors Ben Blaine and Chris Blaine knew that this choice provided viewers an opportunity to focus more heavily on Emma, rather than potentially being distracted by any background movement. Emma remains the prominent focus throughout as a result of the Blaines’ decisions, creating a bond between viewers and the aforementioned Emma. 

Furthermore, the use of black and white, allowing the film to remain void of color creates an atmosphere that feels almost dystopian. The world that the Blaines have created feels uniquely different from ours, certainly not creating a disconnect, but presenting viewers with the opportunity to see the stark differences and appreciate the conundrum in which Emma exists. This helps to solidify the heavy tone meant to transcend this narrative–and Undeletable is better for it. 

Undeletable is a simple concept, one that discusses the ideas of betrayal, doing the right thing, and dealing with our own mistakes. Coming to terms with the loss of a loved one is difficult enough, but coming to terms with their transgressions as well creates a new obstacle, one that isn’t so easily avoided. By presenting Undeletable entirely in black and white, a powerful story is told that resonates with viewers and harnesses a power beyond what most films this short are capable. 

Written & Directed by Blen Blaine & Chris Blaine. 

Starring Sophia Di Martino, etc. 

9/10 = DROP EVERYTHING AND WATCH IT NOW