Zach Kaplan’s short sci-fi film delves into a futuristic world of genetic engineering, following a young husband and wife as they try to design the physical appearance of their child. A session intended to be a confident journey soon turns tumultuous, as Braxton (Brandon J. Somerville) begins to reconsider the genetic experiment and favours more traditional childbearing methods – thwarting his wife Alice’s (Patricia Galvez) dream in the process.
Despite provocative, dystopian doubtfulness at the centre of its design, it is the exceptional acting from the entire cast – including Jennifer Titus as Dr. Jager – that anchors the production tightly. Patricia Galvez’s feminist portrayal successfully draws the viewer’s attention to the magnitude of its characters’ decisions; their individual identity choices are juxtaposed significantly against a fast-evolving futuristic world.
Kaplan brilliantly applies his great eye to the production design, thereby creating resolute tones offset by grasping cinematography. This ultimately aids in delivering a disturbingly evocative take on a theme that we might unfortunately anticipate finding ourselves exposed as reality soon.
Overall, Zach Kaplan’s short sci-fi film is a thought-provoking, tense psychological journey that raises important questions about the future of parenting, motherhood, and medical decisions. It’s a compelling, excellent short sci-fi film with plenty of female empowerment cues presented in a cinematic wrap sandwich which is neither too quirky nor cheesy nor visually displeasing.
