It's a pretty good sign that you've got a good project when your first official selection is as part of Morehouse College's Human Rights Film Festival, but that's precisely what happened with Don-Dimitri Joseph's 11-minute short film Last Option, a low-budget indie project starring Joseph as Daniel. Daniel is a gifted psychic with low self-esteem and an out-of-luck millennial. Things begin to change when he comes into contact with Josie (Candice Marie Singleton), who is both homeless and quirky and an intriguing personality to bring to life their not so psychic endeavor of pulling off burglaries. 

Last Option is a comedy short for sure, an intriguingly brought to life short film that benefits from an inherent charisma from both leads even if their chemistry doesn't ever quite gel. Joseph's Daniel is a bit of a mess, a self-deprecating guy who manages to keep you liking him just enough to keep you engaged with the film. The film's laughs aren't so much laugh out loud as stemming from Daniel's casual disregard for his own gifts. 

As Josie, Candice Marie Singleton is equally winning as the quirkier of the two and she's a lot of fun to watch. 

Already booming on the indie fest circuit, Last Option is nicely shot by Cam Nails with appealing original music by Julien Monette. The script by A.J. Fitzgerald has fun with a unique concept, though this is definitely a film I'd have preferred to see fleshed out a bit more. 

While Last Option never quite lives up to its potential, it's hard to do that in the low-budget indie world and Joseph has accomplished quite a bit for the film's reported $1,200 production budget. Think about that. Seriously. In Hollywood, that's less than one day's food budget. For that price, Don-Dimitri Joseph serves up an entertaining little comedy short that is most certainly worth your time. If it shows up at a festival near you, I definitely recommend you check it out.

Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic