Anyone who has ever been stuck in a lift will most probably tell you that it’s not a particularly pleasant experience. Add an ominous stranger into the mix, and things could certainly have the potential to become something of a worst nightmare. For those of you who are of a curious nature, or perhaps just those of you who would like to watch a well-produced independent short, FlyFantanaFly Production’s Lift is here to bring any of your elevator-inspired nightmares to light.

With an impressive effort of being written, directed, edited and musically produced by Jamie McNaught, Lift follows middle-aged Kevin Mewes (Tim Benton) as he begins his journey to work to clock-up what presumably will be just another day at the office. Without wanting to give away any plot points, let’s just say that Kevin’s work day runs a lot differently to what one would expect.

You are, of course, correct in assuming that the inevitable happens. Shortly into the film, Kevin gets stuck in the communal work lift and we are introduced to a stranger who shares with him the same unfortunate fate, Chris Mia (Mark Crook). As for who is the more ominous of the two, that’s for you to decide.

The story itself is impressive in how it delivers a surprising plot twist, however the twist perhaps becomes slightly over-exploited due to how much it is played on as a plot device when all is ultimately revealed. Also, the story does arguably lack a certain amount of substance in terms of overall content and explanation, which is unfortunately unaided by the disjointed pacing running throughout. Despite this, there are certain elements of the dialogue that are realistic in terms of conveying stark emotion, however the delivery of these lines are halted by arguably over-performed acting by the cast members.

One thing Lift is not short on delivering is plenty of gore and ominous atmospherics. Even the lift the two characters get stuck in is decrepit, so much so that it’s surprising that it was still functioning in the first place. The short is shot and edited with an off-yellow and grainy hue, adding to the overall grimy feel of the film and also suiting the dark tone of the story. In terms of direction, Lift delivers some well-staged camera shots provided by the ensemble team of cameramen (Paul Immanuel, Neville West and Robert Woolgroove). There’s also a generous amount of close-ups that fully take advantage of each actor’s range of staged grimaces and pained expressions.

As an independent film, Lift delivers incredibly well in terms of its production and atmospherics. Lift also has an intriguing premise that, if developed more thoroughly, could truly have the potential to produce some entertaining and original results. All-in-all and regardless of perhaps falling short on delivering too much exposition and not containing enough real substance, McNaught is certainly one to watch out for in the future.

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