Advantage Satan

Entertaining short film that starts out as one kind of story, then surprisingly turns into another, effectively knocking the viewer off-balance. A young couple (Mark Winter and Shelly Lauman) are walking home after a big night on the town. Drunk but still full of energy, the two wander the streets in the early hours of the morning. After resting at a nearby park, the couple come across a tennis court, and see that the gate has been left unlocked. The two enter, but just as they are about to get physical, they discover they are not alone. Director Sean Byrne shifts tone convincingly, displaying complete confidence as the film moves from natural comedy to something much more sinister. Technically the film is first-rate, from the cinematography, editing, and especially the sound design. Byrne has a good eye for knowing what to show, and when to cut. He also gets strong performances from both Winter and Lauman. Only the ending disappoints, which seems illogical given the set-up and reason why the court is left unlocked. I certainly hope 'Advantage' leads to Byrne making a feature film (hopefully 'The Loved Ones' is it).