Mikes Film Talk

Anthony Riach released the 2023 animated short film Room 20. It can be seen as literally one step at a time. The film can also be seen as a homage to Stephen King’s The Dark Tower. King may well be the acknowledged “king” of horror, but his other works impress as well. Dark Tower, with the roving knight with a six shooter, is pure fantasy. Something Room 20 features. Plus its allusions to Salvador Dali, check that clock for starters and you will see.

The Room 20 Story

A lone figure walks though the landscape. His attire suggests a cowboy, or perhaps more accurately a gaucho. This flat brimmed visage heads to a deserted town. A modern ghost town. He head to a lone tower, a hotel perhaps, his destination. Room 20.

The Cast

Paulina Kowalewska is the woman.

Anthony Riach is the man.

Art

There has always been a heated debate about films as art. Animated films fall into this category more than conventional movies. The artwork here is exceptional, albeit, more in the area of expressionism and surrealism. The entire film, for all its beauty is one long canvas filled with images that captivate.

The nods to The Dark Tower are evident inside the “hotel” itself. The doors along the corridors replacing those on the beach that Roland must go through. The room the man enters shows him a daffodil. A pretty yellow flower that presages his meeting the woman.

There is an overall minimalist feel to this short film that works. It allows us to focus on the events and each frame. Dialogue is kept to short sounds. The woman’s grunt of surprise, the man’s response to the landscape. The bartender’s sighs.

This all allows us the freedom to study the film and its possible message.

Room 20 Verdict

I loved this animated short film. It earns an easy 4.5 stars for its beauty and the minimal story that actually tells so much. Riach gives us a world that is deceptively deep. Each time you watch it something else crops up that you missed. Keep an eye out for this one. Catch it if you can, you’ll be glad you did.

The Trailer