Written and directed by Ruben Dueñas and Raymon Dueñas, as The Dueñas Brothers, ‘Weekend Without Parents’ is a short horror film about an on-the-loose serial killer who tailgates a young couple after a date night. Starring Hannah Cichy as Linda, and Eduardo Gonzalez as Paul, the spine-chilling narrative explores the couple’s burgeoning bravery as they go head-to-head with the antagonist (portrayed by Ruben Dueñas). Despite the film’s promising logline, the acting delivery and technicality is far from triumphant – with fanciful performances and low production quality.
The 7-minute short opens with a phony news report about the antagonist’s, known as “The Backstreet Killer”, recent kill. Later, we are introduced to Linda and Paul, who have just enjoyed a cinema-date. On the drive home, it becomes clear they’re being followed by an unknown driver – who tailgates them into a secluded car park (an indisputably foolish move, right?). Without spoiling the concluding climax, the protagonist’s grapple with the killer’s malevolence – resulting in a fight-off between good and evil.
There’s no denying that The Dueñas Brothers had good intensions going into the production – the script holds strong and the vision can be saluted. However, Cichy and Gonzales fail to encompass trepidation – which is plainly essential in horror narratives. Their portrayals are washed out with inadequate sound quality, lighting and layman-like cinematography. The overall film alludes to a first-time/student production – which forbearing viewers can make allowances for. Unfortunately, an unsuspecting viewer may judge this horror film harshly. An unsavoury watch from start-to-finish.
