Low-key yet extremely suspenseful, filmmaker Mart Sander has put together a darkly comic thriller with his newest 22-minute short film Actually, which subverts expectations and plays around with genre in a refreshing manner. Set in a single location (the bar-area of a shadowy, roadside motel) during a pounding and lightning-filled rainstorm, the action pivots on a woman (Jekaterina Novosjolova) who seeks refuge from the downpour, and strikes up an interesting conversation with an eccentric yet close-to-the-best bartender (Toomas Kolk), who shares his thoughts about the very specific date that the story is unfolding on (Friday the 13th...). And what's with all of the moaning and screaming coming from an apparently sick man who is living upstairs? Sander, also an accomplished actor, then shows up as the hotel's owner, and he and the bartender begin to unravel and discuss the mysterious woman's true motives, while attempting to put all of the pieces together about what's truly going on around them.
Sander has a gift for directorially evoking a strong sense of dread and a truly mysterious atmosphere, and while Actually might not unfold in the way you'd expect, there's no question that being surprised is part of this film's reason for being. A trio of fine performances anchors the piece, and the cinematography and editing are clear technical standouts. And just when you think you might know where the story is headed, Sander undercuts what normal genre fare is apt to do, and instead delivers something off-beat and humorous. The final shot is terrific and loaded with implications for the viewer.
