A dog in the woods falls into a puddle. A short distance away a woman bursts from another puddle, gasping for breath. This is the opening 10 or so seconds of the short film, and in it we get everything we need to know for this film to work. We don't know the history behind the puddle, or the forces behind them, but we do know their basic rules of operation, and from here the film is less about them and more about the family we immediately cut to.
There is a tension to their interactions from the start, but quickly we are into the puddles of the title, and here the pace is quick and unnerving. It works well in terms of delivery and it is not clear where it is headed. The ending is solidly in terms of resolution but I would have liked more to have been made of the tension and of the divide between the two sides at the end; it was there but I would have liked more to have caused it than actually occurred. Despite this niggle, the film flows really well and builds well off that impact start. Really punchy and effective in its short running time.
