On Guard: Short Film Review.
The pressure young athletes place on themselves can be immense, especially in solo sports where every victory or failure feels deeply personal. On Guard, the short film from writer‑director Will Calkins, explores that emotional terrain through the story of Jaime, a saber fencer whose self‑worth is tightly bound to her performance. When she suffers a recent loss, the defeat gnaws at her, amplifying insecurities she can’t easily shake.
Jaime, played with raw intensity by Makenzie Pridgen, channels her frustration into punishing practice sessions. In the opening scenes, she attacks a life‑size mannequin with a ferocity that reveals just how much she’s internalised the loss. Her focus is fixed on one goal: a rematch with her toughest rival, Taylor (Sean Mikesh). While Taylor approaches the after‑hours duel as friendly competition, Jaime treats it as a high‑stakes reckoning — a chance to reclaim her confidence, no matter the emotional cost.
Calkins, a former saber fencer himself, brings an insider’s understanding to the film’s atmosphere and detail. The sharp buzz of the scoring machine, the dimly lit gym, the simmering self‑criticism that follows a loss — all of it feels authentic and lived‑in. The fencing sequences are particularly striking. Months of choreography and training pay off in movements that feel precise, tense, and grounded in the sport’s physical language. Composer Brandon Cericola’s energetic, string‑driven score heightens the urgency, echoing Jaime’s escalating emotional state.
The film’s emotional core becomes even clearer in Calkins’ own reflection on the story. He describes On Guard as a way of articulating the psychological weight he carried during his years as a competitive fencer — the sense that every outcome defined him, and that no achievement ever felt like “enough.” Jaime embodies that mindset: not because she seeks to harm others, but because she has tied her identity so tightly to performance that losing feels like a personal failure.
On Guard ultimately resonates as a portrait of the pressures athletes quietly shoulder. Recently screened at the 2026 RiverRun International Film Festival, it offers a sharp, empathetic look at the fragile balance between ambition and self‑acceptance — a balance many athletes, past and present, will recognise.
