A touching drama written and directed by Shaneika Johnson-Simms, When the Pile is Crooked tells a straightforward yet complex story involving a teenage girl, Jolie (Katy Reece), who discovers a pair of mysterious underwear while rummaging through her father's (Mark Sweet) clothing for spare change. Will she tell her mother (Flo Masson), already overly stressed between work, family, and caring for a son with autism (Jaden Peters-Simmons)?

While it seems incredibly straightforward, rest assured that Johnson-Simms has added some nice layers to this eight-minute student short that has already had screenings at the Portobello Film Festival and Early Bird Student Film Festival. Shot in the South London, When the Pile is Crooked is an intelligent family drama that tries to do an awful lot in its relatively short running time yet still manages to create involving and interesting characters whom likely would have been even more convincing with just a wee bit more running time.

© Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic