Twain Short Film Review | Film Debut Directed by Pip

TWAIN

Directed by Pip

Short 

United Kingdom, 2024

Drama, Thriller

16 mins

A young man confronts his incarcerated twin brother unearthing secrets from their dark past.

Directed and written by Pip, starring the incomparable Éanna Hardwicke. Twain is a powerful story of brotherhood, through the glass of a prison visiting booth the brothers reminisce on their childhood but soon dredge up memories which lead to a dark revelation.

Twain is a heartfelt, deeply emotional story of family and sacrifice. The short was elevated to new heights through its intelligent use of framing, performance, colour and anticipation. Taking place in only two locations, one being the prison visiting room and the other the brother’s childhood home, Twain is a slow paced thriller which keeps you leaning into the story with no idea where it will take you. Each element of the short felt profoundly professional and drew me into the plot from the very beginning.

Pip is an upcoming filmmaker to watch, Twain is an unassuming feature, the subtle choices of costume, set, colour and framing added to the overall distinct composition of the short, which led to my general love towards it. Pip was able to create a world, a dull, subdued world that felt hopeless and raw. His vision for this short was memorable and I found it to be one of the strongest shorts I experienced at the Cine international film festival in London. 

When I say unassuming, I mean modest. Modest in its simplicity, modest in its execution and modest in its marketing. Twain is written well and the characters were developed perfectly, Twain is a short with endless potential, an inspiring piece of cinema which stuck with me after watching and one I highly recommend. As a writer, actor and aspiring filmmaker myself, I found Twain to be inspiring and a perfect example of how powerful and professional short films can be.

Twain is a heavy story with themes of domestic abuse and deep tragedy woven into the characters identities. The brothers are bonded to one another but above all else, protective and loyal. The film’s title is a nod to Mark Twain’s book “Life on the Mississippi” which is read by the brothers and acts as a core theme within the plot. 

Not only was this short film beautifully shot but it was performed faultlessly. Primarily set in the one prison location it was isolating to watch the brother’s conversation unfold, Hardwicke was enticing acting alongside himself. It is hard to make distinct differences between character when you are playing both of them, his small mannerisms and differences between the brothers was enticing and I found myself forgetting it was one person playing them both. I was in awe of his raw believability, in a short amount of time I found myself feeling a range of emotions starting with apprehension and ending with pure surprise and poignance.

Twain is a short to watch, I have no doubt it will be a stepping stone to something bigger. 

I am excited to see what comes next for Pip, I hope to see more enigmatic storytelling, sombre character journeys and muted colour palettes. 

Probe Points

★★★★★