THE ROOMMATE is a ten minute short from first-time writer/director Liam Smith It’s a nicely done exercise in suspense leading up to a jump at the end.

The plot is simple, Dan (Luke Williams) returns to university after break only to find his roommate has disappeared. His stuff is there, but there’s no trace of him. As the days go on Dan is plagued by a series of odd events that has him fearing for Ryan’s safety. Perhaps though he should be more concerned about his own.

THE ROOMMATE is pretty much a one character piece, centered around Dan and his reactions to what is going on around him. He does a good job holding the viewer’s attention while usually being the only person on screen. He gets help by way of some atmospheric cinematography from Ryan Stott and brief but effective makeup from Natasha Freeman. For all of them, like Smith, this is their first film. And for a crew of beginners, they do an excellent job.

On the downside, the ending might be a bit obvious and a couple of questions might occur to you after it’s over. But THE ROOMMATE is a very enjoyable watch and a strong debut for all concerned. The current plan is to release it for free via Vimeo on Friday, April 13th, 2018. It’s worth checking out when it arrives.

The trailer can be found on their Facebook page THE ROOMATE.