Mikes Film Talk

The 2025 sci-fi short film The Frequency shows a survivor clinging to hope. Believing that a bit of static is more than a bandwidth error. AI may have destroyed the world but for one young woman, it has not won the fight.

The Frequency Story

Artificial Intelligence; AI, causes massive destruction via nuclear weapons indiscriminately being deployed. A static ridden signal leads a young survivor to believe that she is not alone. She goes in search of the “safe” place promised on the radio. The world may be in the middle, or end, of an apocalypse but the woman refuses to give up.

The Frequency Cast

Tiana-Lee Evans is the young woman. *She is also co-producer of the film.*

Let’s Talk

Filmmaker Aiden Thomas brings a new meaning to the phrase “Cottage Industry.” *Yes, I use this one quite a lot as a number of filmmakers fit the bill. Cottage Industry means basically, “doing it all.” * This UK based auteur fills every role bar the young woman on the screen.

Thomas is writer, director, producer, cameraman, editor, composer; you get the picture. The most important thing to note is that he does all these things exceedingly well. He may just be the next Robert Rodriguez.

His take on an AI generated apocalypse looks brilliant. The lighting, the sets, ruined vistas our heroine walks through, all work. Thomas’s take on the end of the world via a type of “Skynet” scenario looks convincing. We feel the loneliness of the main character and her frustration at finding nothing.

The Frequency Issues

There are a couple of issues with the film. One being the cameraman’s light in the bunker scene. However, with a budget of 0£, this is one that is hard to avoid. It ruins nothing but it is there and it is obtrusive.

The monologue, or narrative, by Evans is low. The musical score, which works wonderfully, overrides her internal conversation. In a way this compliments the theme of being overwhelmed by the lack of humanity. It does, however, make it difficult to hear her “thoughts.”

The Verdict

The Frequency is a solid 4 star effort. The ending, which made me think of the ending of Stephen King’s book The Mist, was a nice touch. “Two words that sound a bit alike. One of them is hope.”

The move to allow AI to destroy the world via a nuclear holocaust is a brave one. Thomas stands up to the challenge admirably with a zero budget. Catch this one if you can. It is an excellent bit of work that feels quite apt given today’s political and technological climate. We expect to see more of Mr Thomas’ work.