A moody and atmospheric thriller directed by up and coming filmmaker Keyvan Sheikhalishahi, in what is his sophomore effort following on from the promising Vesper in 2017, Nox is a short film well worth checking out.
Starring Matt Passmore from Jigsaw and TV show Satisfaction fame and Brigitte Millar from Spectre and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix fame, Sheikhalishahi has quickly managed to attract serious talent to enact out his visions on screen, with Nox another step up for the developing director.
Focusing on Passmore's Peter and Millar's Claire, partners in crime committing a burglary in a senators house on an election night, Nox offers up plenty of suspense and twists in its brief 11 minute run-time that will have viewers on the edge of their seats, a rare feat for a film that is so brief in length.
The tension and nervy vibe created here is largely due to Sheikhalishahi's slick handling of the material and whilst busy also managing such duties as prop design, production design and costume design, Sheikhalishahi's showcases a deft hand as an all-round filmmaker, one that will hopefully soon be seen in the feature film marketplace if that is what he so desires.
Another important aspect of Nox that elevates it from the doldrums that many short films fail to climb out of is its crisp cinematography by Jean-Claude Aumont and impressive score by musical duo Greco Casadesus and Gregory Cotti, whose partnership here instills Nox with a great personality character.
As with any short film, things so brief in nature often find it tough to emotionally invest viewers into it and that's the case here but as a thriller with polish, Nox is a high class event in the short film landscape.
Final Say -
Another impressive entry in the burgeoning filmography of Keyvan Sheikhalishahi, Nox is a worthwhile short film and a fine calling card for the talents of its young director.
3 ½ interrupted baths out of 5