FILM REVIEW:

CURRENTS (2022)

By Zeke Frankl
01/17/2023

Is there a single more emotional image than shedding a single tear? More subdued than weeping, more dignified than bawling, it is an emotional response characterized by restraint. Emotion brims just beneath the surface of the character, their calm facade cracking just enough to let a single drop escape their glassy eyes. It isn’t necessarily realistic, very few people ever have that much self-control over their emotions, but that's precisely the point. The world of a film itself is a heightened reality, where, even with the most realistic setting, it is meant to depict what we wish or fear would happen. Real life is rarely so uniform, nor should it be. Reality can often amount to a series of missed opportunities, while film is made to explore, instead, the what-ifs.

“Currents explores the unexpected spark of connection between two souls, each going through -- although different, deep crises.”

Such is the case with Currents, a delightful little character study written and directed by Jacob Dylan. Currents explores the unexpected spark of connection between two souls, each going through -- although different, deep crises. Kevin (Antwon Brooks), is in the middle of moving out of his apartment when he hears a loud, borderline violent argument from next door. The next morning, he receives a handwritten post-it on his door from a neighbor apologizing for the ruckus. When leaving a grateful reply, Kevin meets this neighbor (Elysia Kirk), and together they find a little bit of solace from their turmoil.

“The exact reasons behind our characters’ pains aren’t explained, with the viewer receiving just enough information to make our own inferences.”

Restraint is the name of the game in Dylan’s film, with expository dialogue thankfully traded for long, earned silences that speak volumes. The exact reasons behind our characters’ pains aren’t explained, with the viewer receiving just enough information to make our own inferences. The neighbor’s loud fights, her shaken demeanor and Kevin viewing her talking with the police, all point towards to the possibility of domestic violence. Similarly, Kevin has been living with another person, and the possibility of a failed romance is conveyed almost entirely through Brooks’ quietly anguished performance. Kevin’s role is a delicate balancing act, as the viewer’s POV, he could easily be portrayed too obviously or too impersonally. However, time and again, Brooks shone through. The scene where he sheds a single tear on the rooftop of his apartment turned a cliche into the dignified emotional response the film needed. Currents shines through its “realism” as well as its impracticality. The use of messages written on post-its as the main method of communication could very well be corny or forced. But, somehow, strangers connecting through analog means in a culture where human connection has become primarily digital has an undeniably winning charm. At some level, one can’t help but wish there was something more meaningful than “It’s ok : )” written on Kevin’s note. But perhaps its simplicity was the point.

I’m sure events similar to this have happened many times before, yet Currents can’t help but feel like a realistic “what-if.” What if neighbors actually forged connections with each other? What if our generation found a cure for their loneliness in human solace and not the unfeeling maelstrom of social media? At its heart, Currents is a Gen Z fairy tale, where the “old ways” are used to forge new bonds

Written by Jacob Dylan

Directed by Jacob Dylan

Cinematography by Olivia Mundie

Edited by Jacob Dylan

Composed by Nijayé Owens and Jaelyn Speice

Here’s the link to watch the full short film: Currents