Hunting Bears

I just watched Jason Ruddy's short film Hunting Bears, and wow, it really hit me. It's about two brothers: Kenny, who has Alzheimer's, and Andy, who's taking care of him. The story feels so real and heartbreaking, especially seeing how much Andy is struggling to balance love and frustration. You can tell he cares deeply, but the weight of it all is so heavy.

The setting really stuck with me too. Most of the film takes place in this snowy, quiet forest, and it's almost like the environment reflects their emotions-lonely, beautiful, and overwhelming all at once. The music adds another layer, making some scenes feel almost magical but in a bittersweet way.

Nathaniel Parker and Joel Beckett, who play the brothers, are incredible. Their performances felt so honest, especially in the smaller moments. There's one scene where they're just sitting together, and you can feel everything - love, sadness, and even a little hope - all without saying much.

If you've ever cared for someone or seen a loved one change because of illness, this film will stay with you. It's only 10 minutes long, but it packs so much emotion. It reminded me how complicated relationships can be, especially when life throws something as tough as Alzheimer's into the mix. Definitely worth a watch.

I recently viewed this short online and felt compelled to leave a review. It's not often you see a short that sticks with you - and this one does just that. I enjoyed it so much that I viewed it twice and I'm sure I will return to it again in the future. It is a dark drama set around the themes of caring and mental health - themes that are not covered enough on screen. Wonderful performances from the lead actors, Nathaniel Parker and Joel Beckett. I was also blown away by the fact that this was a debut from the director, as the direction and writing was fantastic. I would love to see what the director does next as this was an interesting first film and a conversation starter for what it covers.

This was a really nicely paced, well directed short film which tackles important themes when it comes to taboo subjects. For a low budget short, this film had really high production values, with great cinematography, incredible acting talent and a emotion, professional score. As a film lover and someone that appreciates short form film, Hunting Bears is one of the stand out ones I've seen. It stayed with me for several days, as all good films should, and since I have watched it another two times, picking up on little things I missed the first time round. Parker and Beckett are on top form, a duo who I think work well together and should be on screen more often. All in all, worth ten minutes of your time.

I throughly enjoyed this short film. It's dark, gritty and very real. All the right ingredients for a dark drama.

The acting from the main cast is superb, with Nathaniel Parker putting on a rememberable performance that is award worthy.

As it's short format, it's just 10 minutes, but I would have happily watched a much longer version of this to see the relationship between the brothers develop.

The soundtrack works really well with the mood and tone of the film, and adds another layer - as all soundtracks should.

It's a film I will revisit in the future and will definitely stay with me for the next few days. Looking forward to seeing what comes from the director, Jason Ruddy, next.

Jason Ruddy solidly crafts suspense in this short that will surprise you and lead you to reflect on societal standards and pressures regarding caretaking.

HUNTING BEARS is meaningful storytelling wrapped in (and upending) genre conventions. Worth the watch.