It takes only a moment for us to realize that we're in for quite the cinematic journey with Kelly Holmes's jarring 17-minute short film The Sin-Eater. Set in 1852 Wales, The Sin-Eater introduces us to Jemima (Carly-Sophia Davies). Jemima's initial appearance immediately draws us in, a young mother clearly in the throes of grief following the death of her newborn son with husband Richard (Gareth Jewell), a stoic and not particularly supportive spouse clearly under the influence of his religiously devout mother, Eliza (Sharon Morgan), who's never been particularly fond of Jemima and is even less so now that she's brought a "sickly child into the world." 

It's obvious fairly early on that Jemima is trying to fit into a world into which she doesn't belong, an ongoing theme in this compelling short that combines Welsh folk horror with universal themes and contemporary concerns. The priest (Lewis Mackinnon) has raised an unthinkable concern about the soul of Jemima's now dead son. There was no time for a baptism, yet another reason for Eliza to despise the lesser than Jemima. 

In the deep of night, Thomas (Jack Parry-Jones) arrives entering through the window and radiating the kind of mischief and uncertainty that one can only miss if one is in the midst of intense grief. 

An awful lot happens in the relatively short span of 17-minutes in The Sin-Eater. The film is beautifully shot by Kelly Holmes off a compelling, unshakeable script by Matthew White. Alan C. McLaughlin's lensing amplifies the film's use of shadowy, candle-driven light and backgrounds in which everything matters and one must keep one's eyes glued to the screen. Anastasia Crossley's costume design is also fiercely appropriate and impressive. 

BAFTA Cymru Winner Jack Parry-Jones, who's already picked up a best supporting actor prize for his work here, is mesmerizing as Thomas. Thomas comes off as a sort of rainmaker, both charismatic and agenda-driven yet always uncomfortably believable. Carly Sophia-Davies (The Eternal Daughter) soars as Jemima, an emotionally complex and layered performance reminding us that acting beyond her station has consequences in a world where she is subjected to both the patriarchal culture and the influence of a church that dominates us. It's a remarkable and impossible to forget performance. The rest of the ensemble impresses as well, most notably the steely and demanding Sharon Morgan as Eliza. 

Having recently screened at Galway Film Fleadh, The Sin-Eater continues on its film festival journey and should have no problem filling up its schedule and picking up a slew of awards along the way. 

Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic