There's a certain twisted joy to be found in writer/director Meagan Flynn's latest short film High Bid, a deceptively simple seven-minute short about a high school senior (Emmy Gyori) who enlists her mother's (Shannon Knopke) help when she decides to sell some stuff she doesn't need anymore to raise money for college.

Sound simple?

I suppose it is, but it's also a uniquely realized and consistently fun little short that taunts the viewer with exactly where Flynn's going to take the story and just how much this young lady's going to toy with her mother along the way.

High Bid is a little quirky, a little dark, a whole lotta funny and a film that leaves you not so much surprised at everything that transpires but absolutely delighted that Flynn seems to have so much fun taking us on the journey. The fun really begins with the perfectly cast duo of Emmy Gyori and Shannon Knopke, the former a documentary film student at Chapman University who perfectly captures the sort of spirit and boldness that fits her character quite perfectly. As her mother, Shannon Knopke is an unknowing hoot of a mother, and you can take that any way you'd like.

Ty Jones lenses the film with a vibrance that sells the entire affair with an even greater delight, while the film's original music almost makes you feel like you're watching a mid-80's sitcom.

In case you're wondering, that's a compliment.

High Bid was only recently finished and should have absolutely no problem finding a home on the film festival circuit when it hits that road in early 2014. Indie and comedy film fest directors take note - High Bid deserves a place on your program.

The Independent Critic will also be adding a trailer once it's made available and will be sure to keep up on the film festival journey for High Bid.

© Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic