Lucas

Clocking in at 30 minutes long, Lucas is unusual in the area of short films because it is significantly longer than the majority of the pack. I knew this going in and I did wonder if it would be able to hold my attention for that long since in the past month or so I have become very used to watching films significantly shorter than that. The plot starts out slowly as we see Lucas struggling to fit in at school and be the runt of his own social group. Unable to impress a girl he likes and unable to get the motorcycle he wants, Lucas is additionally hampered by an injured knee suffered as a result of an accident. When he meets an older man at the gym who suggests Lucas could be a model and that he would pay for some photos, Lucas is hesitant but as Álvaro explains, it doesn't seem like it would do any harm.

Lucas is an odd film because it has many things going on at the same time and at times it maybe isn't totally clear as to which story we are following and why. Mostly though it stays closely together and produces a good story even if it is one that feels like the first half of the story, not the whole deal. Starting with Lucas we have one story of him as a teenage boy having the usual problems that come with being that age. This thread takes a more sinister turn when he meets Álvaro and the two start using each other. This is where the core strength of the film is because the two characters are engaging but flawed and the film doesn't let us forget either of these things.

Gradually it becomes clear that Álvaro's intentions are not ultimately as pure as he makes it sound and it is this gradual sense of the deal not being right that makes the film engaging. The side scenes with Lucas benefiting from the deal seem a little disjointed from the main though; I was waiting for a second connection between the two side of the film – not saying this would have worked, but just saying as it is, it felt a bit disconnected from the main anytime we followed Lucas into his world. This is particularly evident at the end of the film because, while it comes to a head, it doesn't really provide closure and in some ways I was a little disappointed.

In terms of the delivery of the film, both Butler and Callejo are very good in their roles; Callejo in particular brings out the charming side but also the creepier side to his character's nature – a balance that makes the viewer uncomfortable and also helps the overall tone of the film. As director Álex Montoya gets generally good turns from his cast and the short looks professional and well shot. I do think it could have been tighter and not have so much on Lucas' side of the story only, and the conclusion is not all I was hoping for, but it still worked for the atmosphere – I read that the director hopes to make this into a feature in which case I would like to see it as this short did leave me feeling that there was more than I got here.