I can't deny that I found myself hoping that Gretchen Mahkorn's 14-minute short film I Hope You're Happy found its roots in a certain Blue October song by the same name. While that's not quite the case, though it could easily be a creative cousin, this short film does find its roots in America's seemingly ever-growing drug crisis and the growing concerns around fentanyl related deaths. 

In the film, four childhood friends return to the small hometown to grieve the loss of a beloved friend to addiction. The film tells writer Erika Kirkstein-Zastrow's story efficiently and maximizes its slight yet meaningful timeframe. Over the course of their night together, truths are revealed and tensions amplify as the friends are forced to deal with the remnants of a drug addiction loss - anger, blame, and shame. 

I Hope You're Happy centers around these childhood friends - Rob (Jason Francisco Blue), Sarah (Nikki Garza), Eileen (Aly Galbraith), and Kate (Mahkorn). The four largely represent different types and stages of grief, though the ensemble does a nice job of humanizing their characters in a short amount of time. 

I Hope You're Happy is finding quite the life on the indie fest circuit and would no doubt be a terrific selection for mental health and social issue fests. Filmed in Atlanta, I Hope You're Happy is nicely shot by Marco Gutiérrez who's not hesitant to reveal the stark vulnerabilities for those left behind. 

Does I Hope You're Happy cover a whole lot of new ground? No, not really. However, it tells a simple and meaningful story well and features a talented ensemble with both Mahkorn and Jason Francisco Blue being particular highlights. 

Watch for I Hope You're Happy at an indie fest near you. 

Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic