Rivals is the second Old West short film directed by Michael Brian Rawlins that I've watched. With a runtime of almost 18 minutes, it is three times as long as The Dentist, the first Rawlins short film I saw. The budget here is clearly significantly larger, as seen in the film's set design. Rivals has the feel of a full-length film in many ways and offers a complete story.
The story is emotional: it's about two kids growing up to adulthood as best friends and rivals at the same time, constantly competing to outdo each other in almost everything. They do everything together and both dream of becoming a respected U. S. marshal. But there can only be one, and both of them are determined to be the one whose picture will hang on an honorary wall. Which one will make it?
Similar to The Dentist, the two main characters, along with the entire cast, do a stellar job in their roles. Notably, the director also plays a main character in this film. The story is rich with humor, and I found myself laughing out loud several times. The film blends both explicit and subtle humor, making it doubly enjoyable. There's an interesting plot twist halfway through the film-something I didn't expect, but it was probably the best choice for the story.
In my review of The Dentist, I said it was probably the best under-10-minute short film I've seen to date. So, Rivals is probably the best 10-20 minute short film I've watched so far. It seems Michael Brian Rawlins has worked as a stunt double in Fallout and the 2017 sequel to Kingsman. I think he should get bigger roles in high-profile films and direct full-length movies-perhaps Westerns, if that aligns with his ambitions. In any case, I'm sure he would succeed in these efforts.
