Cynthia is a room full of friends, but it’s not comfortable. Something is left unsaid. They’ve come back together for the first time in a while, it should be light, it should be breezy, but it’s anything but. They’re the best of friends after all. They’re circling around talking about it in a fraught evening full of laughs and awkward moment in equal measure until the wine hits and it all comes gushing out, and their left to face their past, and their future.

Basically, Cynthia is the on screen version of tension so thick you can cut it with a knife. Basically, Cynthia is good. Cynthia is tense, dramatic and you just NEED to know the truth. 17 minutes never took so long (in a good way) as I begged to know what happened. Director Jack Hickey is best known for his on screen performances in Game of Thrones and Vikings but has brought together a brilliant directorial debut in Cynthia.

Pulling on his contacts through the years there is an excellent cast, with Clare Dunne (Cynthia) bringing all her theatre experience to deliver one of the most dramatic monologues I’ve seen in short film. Moe Dunford (Vikings) also delivers a powerful yet emotional experience as the bullish Elliot, who despite all his bravado was hugely affected by his friend’s decision and bears a huge emotional burden, all delivers through teary eyes and Irish humour.

The directing is simple but effective. There are no bells and whistles and the setting is regular and normal, but that all adds to the films relatability. You can see yourself in this life, in this situation and it’ll make you think. Whoa! Is anyone I know going through this. It brings to the forefront the idea of hidden issues, hidden struggles, hidden feelings and asks should we look more closely at how our friends are doing, how do they feel and care a little more about our actions. Cynthia is as meaningful as it is entertaining and great in terms of performances.

Hickey and his producer sister have done excellently with Cynthia and it deserves the awards it’s won in Ireland and London. Whilst it’s still not my favourite short film monologue, which still sits with Sign language (Jethro Skinner), I was hugely taken aback.

Dealing with two hugely heavy topics, and still managing to make it real, down to earth of undeniably relatable for anyone, Cynthia is a must watch and a film that I think should be more widely recognised in 2020 and I hope it gets the awards it deserves.

View The Trailer Below

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