Jaden Scott’s ‘RedOrange’ ventures boldly into the gritty terrain of inner-city love, aiming to sketch a raw, unfiltered portrait of young lovers Mickey (Angelo Lebron) and Angela (Andrea Zabala). This short thriller, with its coming-of-age wrapper, teeters on the cusp of something deeply evocative but ultimately falters under the weight of its own ambition.

The plot, aspiring to be a tapestry of tender and tumultuous moments, instead stalls, failing to anchor the viewer’s full investment. The romance, intended as the film’s heartbeat, is obscured by a series of lengthy scenes. This sluggish pacing is abruptly upended by the sudden introduction of a firearm and a postitive pregnancy test, a twist that feels more jarring than jaw-dropping, destabilizing rather than deepening the plot.

Technically, the film struggles. Shaky camerawork and subpar sound quality frequently distract, and the editing choices often leave the storyline feeling disjointed. Such technical missteps might be forgiven in a debut effort for their raw authenticity, but here, they significantly impair the viewing experience.

Yet, amidst these challenges, Lebron and Zabala shine. Their performances, brimming with potential, offer fleeting glimpses into the depth and complexity their characters could have achieved. They stand as the film’s most compelling argument for what could have been, had the narrative and technical execution matched their commitment.

‘RedOrange’ represents a valiant attempt at storytelling, marred by executional missteps. For a first-time production, it’s a respectable endeavor, yet one can’t help but feel that the story deserved a better telling.