Gillyfish: Review. By Josiah Teal.

Gilly (Aoife Commons) and Lana (Cat Coyle) discuss Gilly’s estranged father and the oncoming confrontation they will have when reuniting. But Gilly poses a plan: what if Lana were to pose as Gilly and confront her father? What if Lana could convey the pain and guilt that Gilly cannot? Gillyfish tackles love, identity, and parental trauma as Gilly and Lana navigate their own relationship. 

Written and directed by Sarah Sellman, Gillyfish is a minimalistic short film. The dialogue-centric story drives the relationships between Lana and Gilly, as Commons and Coyle’s performances shine throughout the narrative. On the premise alone, Sellman creates a gripping character piece within a 10-minute runtime. While the script gets a little exposition-heavy at the start, nothing detracts from the high emotions and intriguing twists at the climax. 

Gillyfish makes the most of its budget and runtime, leaving the viewer wanting more. It’s a festival-worthy short film made for a film festival audience, delivering all the emotions needed for that brand of nuanced, character-focused drama. While Gillyfish is engaging from start to finish, it falls into the films you respect or find important more than those you rewatch.

Still, the filmtakes issues of estrangement, LGBTQ+ acceptance, and identity and builds a layered story based on empathy, yet still commentating on whether someone is ready to face their trauma. Sellman and the cast showcase all their skills with Gillyfish and will build some excitement for their next festival or upcoming project.

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