STARRING
Cindy Claes, Monika Valkunaite, Toro Cuenca, Neal Ludevig, Philip Philip Kilgour, Carla Pueyo, Scarlett Sidera Rourich, Ankur Singh DIRECTED BY
Sebastian C. Santisteban SCREENPLAY
Gian Bonacchi Neal Ludevig RUNNING TIME
10 Mins. OFFICIAL IMDB
Movie Review: All Dogs Go To Heaven
In the opening moments of Sebastian C. Santisteban's just shy of 10-minutes indie sci-fi short All Dogs Go To Heaven, we're introduced to a handful of folks professing their gratitude for a neural chip permeating society and erasing emotions. Then, we're introduced to F.1 (Cindy Claes), a scientist whose work seems to be centered around enduring human compliance with this new mandate.
All goes well until she meets Grace (Monika Valkunaite), whose resistance to the neural chip is noteworthy and whose humanity intrigues F.1 and triggers doubt, an ethical dilemma, and an awareness of the consequences of her actions.
It's unsurprising that All Dogs Go To Heaven picked up a trio of awards at AI International Film Festival (Best Film Showing Neural Chip, Best Message, and Best Live Action Short). The film is an ambitious effort that accomplishes quite a bit despite the inherent challenges of creating a convincing sci-fi short on a lower budget.
Claes intrigues quite a bit and convincingly portrays the compliant scientist whose compliance begins to show cracks. This is a meaningful film that is visually appealing thanks to Daniel De La Lastra's effective lensing and Lali Rizza's strong visual effects work.
I will confess that I wish the film had a bit more room to breathe, an opportunity for F.1's transition to really have a maximum impact, however, also an opportunity to add some additional layers to the compelling story.
However, All Dogs Go To Heaven held my attention from beginning to end and left me wanting more. In a world that feels a little unsettling these days, All Dogs Go To Heaven definitely brings forth a strong message that won't be quickly forgotten.
