A post-apocalyptic action thriller, 2 Hours follows a lone survivor (Josh Merrill) who has been ambushed and infected with a virus and has only two hours to track down the cure.

He's going to encounter more than a few obstacles along the way.

Shot utilizing a single Canon T2i with only two lenses, 2 Hours is an exceptional low-budget accomplishment that works effectively as an involving and suspenseful thriller despite having an ultra-low production budget that eliminated any possibility of excessive editing, special effects or other gimmicks frequently utilized by the studios. When you consider just how little director Michael Ballif had to work with, you can't help but be really impressed with the finished film.

Ballif himself also served as D.P. for the film, and his camera work here is both crystal clear and intelligently shot. It's no small feat to shoot a 25-minute short film on a low-budget, and Ballif possesses quite a bit of insight with how to appropriately angle shots and take advantage of shading in just the right way to make a shot work without making it look cheap. The film's original music by Keaton Anderson helps to heighten the film's suspense, and the actors themselves, especially lead Josh Merrill, are all clearly on the same page as Ballif in terms of artistic vision.

The film's script was co-written by Ballif and Merrill, who did a nice job of keeping the production requirements within their capabilities.

2 Hours is just starting its festival run, and it'll be interesting to see how the film is received on the indie and horror fest circuits. For more information on the film, visit the film's website listed in the credits.

© Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic