Drive Home is written and directed by Sergio Leroy with cinematographer and executive producer Johnnard Harper. Cast members include JP DeStefano, Michael Tamborello, Carson White and Ella Tamborello. This three minute short film follows two friends heading home from a night out when they are sidetracked by two little children begging for a ride home. Although it would seem like an easy choice, something about the children has the two men irked.
When I was contacted about reviewing Drive Home, the first thing that made me want to watch it was the aspect of the creepy children. I think, to some extent, Drive Home was inspired by the urban legend of The Black Eyed Kids; reports of children with black eyes showing up at front doors and car doors asking for help, oftentimes filling the witness was a panic attack inducing sense of dread. It’s a topic that interests me, to say the least, so I was happy to see a short film that dealt with the same subject material.
Another aspect of this production that really works is the cast members. Although Drive Home only featured four actors, everyone handled the job with professionalism and I have to say the children did a fantastic job. Whether or not there was serious coaching behind the scenes, both kids appeared creepy enough and seemed to have a basic understanding of timing in relation to moving and saying their lines. Impressive! JP DeStefano and Michael Tamborello also gave hearty and realistic performances here. Over the past two years JP DeStefano has been featured in two short films, two feature films and another short film awaiting release that all relate specifically to the horror genre. I can’t wait to see where he ends up next.
The only thing I can criticize in regards to Drive Home is from a technical standpoint. The very beginning has fishbowl audio, a term I use to describe audio that sounds like it was recorded in a fishbowl or tank. Secondly, the camera work is a little iffy, having a tendency to go out of focus when panning or maybe going in for another take. I know that some shots were designed to have focus on certain parts of the frame or to emphasize something in the background, but in a lot of the cases here it was a learning mistake. This could perhaps best be remedied by a better lens.
As the directorial debut of Sergio Leroy, this wasn’t too shabby!
Final Score: 5.5 out of 10
