Review for ‘‘Roswell’’ by TD Stahl

TD Stahl's nearly-one-man-show Roswell is an impressive short film that feels like summer itself, a light yet heartfelt comedy with a personal message that channels the slow & carefree but at the same time existentially stressful passing of the days during holiday.

The plot is barebones, as we follow Amos and Gwen on an alien-hunting expedition, although it would be more accurate to say that we follow Gwen following Amos, as she hardly shares his excitement or even basic belief in the existence of their target. Through this simple two-person story, and in large part due to the great performances of Anthony Veneziano and Rachel Bratton, TD Stahl introduces concepts of escapism, managing expectations and failure, changing course in one's life, and learning to adapt and flow through life without basing all your worth on work or personal achievement or on matching social standards.

Roswell keeps you on your toes by constantly cycling through different lighting, recording speeds, color palettes, and even between live-action and animation, sometimes to reflect a specific emotion of the protagonist, other times just for comedic effect. Coupled with subdued yet effective instrumental soundtrack & songs, the whole short feels dreamy and light. The atmosphere is mainly broken up by the animation segments, which are well-made, and although completely unnecessary, they don't overstay their welcome and work semi-well with the short's humor philosophy.

In summary, Stahl has worked wonders for his budget, crafting a beautiful short with a lot of heart and personality, a simple plot, and many visual surprises that intrigue us as to what this director could do with more resources.