Short Film Review: "The Long Dig" — Soft-Boiled Sci-Fi
The Long Dig is a sci-fi short directed by Tom R. Pike and written by Pike and Kate Hackett (who also plays the lead). The film is part of the larger Aeronauts universe, a tabletop game from Electric Purple Studios that will be released at a later date and was recently previewed at PAX, and it was recently accepted to the Chicago Independent Film and TV Festival.
Eve (Hackett) scours decaying old ruins for Antenoch technology that was buried or otherwise preserved. Having - she hopes - perfected a mixture of oils that will prevent the decay of Antenoch artifacts, Eve is equipped to safely remove them from these ruins. Today, she’s found an old transportation hub, perhaps a subway, haunted by monsters and hiding treasure. It is an adventure in darkness, with flashes of fear and bursts of action, about one woman’s desperate desire to return home.
Imagine a dystopian future where the world stands in ruins, shrouded in a mysterious mist that’s laid waste to the world as we know it. Most of the living hide from the mist, finding solace in small clearings and underground tunnels; however, those more daring venture out into it, braving “Remnant beasts, rival factions, mist-induced hallucinations, and themselves” in search of the tech that since fallen out of mankind’s grasp.
If this sounds intriguing, then The Long Dig may have the goods you’re after. However, if you’re seeking something rich and substantial, you’re liable to come up as empty as the film’s characters, leaving behind a lot more questions than satisfying answers (which may be part of the film’s design?). The downside to the short being passed on a yet-to-be-released game is that virtually no viewer is in the know, making it very easy for all of us to feel like a confused outsider. Because of this, The Long Dig never makes full connection, and there’s also not much that clues a viewer into what’s going on — or more importantly why the mist came about and people are forced to scavenge.
While it’s easy for viewers to pick up on what’s going on, there’s still a fair amount that feels over our heads and beyond our reach. Because we never truly get a feel for our three main characters (other than they want to go home and have “three square meals a day”) or feel emotionally connected, it’s hard to become fully invested in the proceedings. And when the conflict enters way late in the short’s third act — which is one of the few moments that worked quite well — there’s a good chance you might not care what happens to them in the end.
Without sturdy legs to stand on, The Long Dig never fully reaches the height of its potential, but, much like its crew, it never stops reaching. For its budget and time constraints, it establishes an interesting atmosphere; it just falls a bit light narratively. Overall, it’s not independent enough to stand on its own, and it’s not thrilling or intriguing enough to sell us on the tabletop game it’s centered around; it rests somewhere in between.
But, don’t just take our word for it, give the film a watch yourself by clicking here. Just because it didn’t work for us, doesn’t mean it won’t work for you!
Rating: 1.5 mist-fueled hallucination outta 5.
What do you think? We want to know. Share your thoughts and feelings in the comments section below, and as always, remember to viddy well!