Scott Talbot’s post-apocalyptic thriller ‘The One That Got Away’ delivers a gritty tale of survival and queer longing. The film opens with gunshots and chaos as Leah (Lydia Kelly) flees through the trees. It’s a tense, gripping opener that pulls us straight into survival mode, before rewinding to earlier that day.
Leah takes shelter in a derelict building with Kate (Cecily Elliott) and Ayden (Ben Rigby), a couple trying to keep their fragile existence together. Ayden is bitter, volatile, and threatened by Leah’s recent actions. When resources run low, she is blamed for retaliating against another group. But something else is simmering within Leah.
Leah and Kate, childhood friends, go hunting for supplies. Their bond deepens into something intimate – at least from Leah’s perspective. Meanwhile, Ayden is captured by a hostile faction, and Leah must decide how far she’s willing to go to protect Kate – and whether saving Ayden is even part of her future.
Cinematically, the film is remarkably produced – expect top-notch cinematography and production values. Ben Meserve’s praisworthy camera-work captures the wild expanse perfectly, while drone shots from Andrew Studer offer a cinematic aerial perspective. The sound design and pacing are equally flawless.
Lydia Kelly steals the film with a truly gripping performance that grows deeper as the story unfolds. She starts as cautious and guarded, but as Leah is forced to make harder choices, you see the weight of those decisions slowly take hold – a moral unraveling is at play.
This is a story about desire winning out over logic, about choosing someone even when the right choice is unclear. It shows what people are capable of when the rule book of a civilized world has been thrown out and everything they once relied on no longer applies. The mood, the writing, the tension – it all works. Scott Talbot and his team have created a story full of tension and heart, that builds into something unforgettable. It’s a strong, memorable short that marks the work of a skilled and passionate group of filmmakers.
