Written and directed by J.W. Cox, ‘The Rise of Elsie Matthews’ is a short drama film that explores the abusive relationship between a promising child actress and her sociopathic mother. Rhyan Hanavan leads the cast as 13-year-old Elsie, with Kira L Wilson co-starring as her abusive mom. The drama admirably shines a light on the culture of overbearing parenting within the entertainment industry. Viewers can expect a hard-hitting watch from the offset, with a shocking curveball to the narrative.
The 16-minute drama centers around the production of Elsie’s latest film. With little education behind her and isolated from her peers, Elsie finds herself subjected to her mother’s financial exploitation, destructive lifestyle and derogatory antagonism. As she finally plucks up the courage to retaliate, a shift in their relationship dynamic leads to a startling life-changing twist.
J.W. Cox has crafted a fine drama that doesn’t hang back from divulging adolescent maltreatment. Rhyan Hanavan’s performance warrants high acclaim for the emotional complexity. Utilizing both endearing and troubling personality traits within Elsie gives a three-dimensional quality that is certain to keep viewers hooked. Kira L Wilson delivers an equally stellar performance, albeit unsettling to watch. Visually, the film is captured with high quality cinematography – packaged flawlessly with industry level sound and post-production. Highly recommended.
