In just 2 minutes, ‘Treasure Hunt’ delivers more energy, tension, and hilarity than most feature-length action/comedies can muster in 90-minutes. Directed with a sense of urgency by Taso Alexander and starring Garrett Jamieson, this action-themed comedy short doesn’t waste a single second.
It begins, as all good adventures do, with something utterly absurd – an ancient pirate map materializing in a man’s lounge. From there, it’s full throttle. Jamieson, armed with nothing but manic determination and increasingly ridiculous props, embarks on a chaotic quest that transforms him – physically and spiritually – into the pirate he clearly believes he was born to be. The journey is fast-paced, surreal, and executed with such conviction that you’ll find yourself rooting for this bearded dreamer even as he descends into total lunacy.
With no dialogue, it relies entirely on kinetic visual storytelling – a blend of sharp editing, clever sound design, and Lukas Guyader’s punchy, adventurous score that sails the film into slapstick glory. Ian Macmillan’s cinematography keeps things edgy and offbeat, letting every sequence unfold with both tension and hilarity.
Jamieson’s performance is skilled in subtle absurdity. His facial expressions and physical comedy are spot-on – never overplayed, always perfectly timed. It’s rare to see a performance this controlled in a film this unhinged.
‘Treasure Hunt’ is bold, bizarre, and utterly brilliant. Its funny climax will throw you off guard into hysterics – a perfectly unhinged payoff to a breakneck build-up. This is one of those rare shorts that deserves to be watched more than once.
