The loss of a family member or other loved one can cause people to change, and not always for the better. Goodnight Darling, a six-minute short from director Adam Azimov (Silent Cargo) looks at it from a different angle than the usual domestic drama.
A young girl (Vivien Lyra Blair, Bird Box, We Can be Heroes) tells her older sister (AnnaSophia Robb, Bridge to Terabithia, Down a Dark Hall) that their mother (Lauren Bowles, True Blood) has changed. And that she scares her. Her sister reassures her that it’s just her reaction to their father’s death. But she has to deal with her own suspicions that it could be something more sinister.
Goodnight Darling” is based on a deep fear I developed in my youth when my parents would come home from a night out. As they came into my room to say good night, I often imagined that it was two imposters disguised as them. I pictured someone wearing a mask, or a second skin, in order to take over their lives… and mine. It was terrifying. I later realized that it represented an unspoken and deeper fear that many children face – that my parents weren’t the perfect people I grew up thinking they were.
Adam Azimov director of Goodnight Darling
Azimov and director of photography Pawel Pogorzelski (Midsommar, Hereditary) combine to take this simple premise and create a creepy and atmospheric short that builds to a nicely done final shot. They’re helped by some effectively creepy sound effects and a score that’s a perfect fit for Goodnight Darling’s visuals.
Goodnight Darling packs a lot into its six minutes and I don’t want to spoil any of it. The film is available on Alter’s YouTube channel, and, of course, right here. It’s short, free and damn good, so check it out.