Now You See Me, Now You Don’t (2005)
Now You See Me, Now You Don’t is an incredibly powerful and brilliant short film from Hungarian writer/director Attila Szasz.
The film, which clocks in at thirty minutes, tells the story of a family going through some sort of crisis what, exactly, isnt made clear until the end of the film. Emotions and feelings between the three main characters mom, dad and their young son Alex are (purposefully) confusing. Is mom angry or afraid? Why is dad so mysterious? Alex seems to be at the center of the storys plot, but again, were not sure why until later in the film, when the heart of the movie begins to unravel.
The direction of Now You See Me, Now You Dont is full of intelligence mixed with brilliance, with almost more tension than the viewer can stand. After several viewings I could not find a single wasted frame of film; every moment of every shot is important. There are no multimillion dollar special effects or famous actors to be found here, and none are needed. Writer/director Szasz shows incredible talent in his lighting and camera work, through which he is able to convey to the audience raw emotion. Combined with a calm, steady pace, Szasz delivers more chills and power than a thousand guys in rubber masks or a bazillion dollars worth of CGI could ever do.
It has taken me longer than usual to write this review, as theres not much I can say about the plot without giving away too much (which would be a crime). Like The Sixth Sense and other chillers, Now You See Me, Now You Dont is best experienced with an open mind and no preconceived notions. The dark silhouettes that grace the cover set the films tone, but as in real life, things arent always as they seem. Now You See, Me Now You Dont takes all the pressure and intensity from a psychological thriller and crams it into a 30 second drama. This is one intense film. As a parent, it haunted my dreams.
If you can get your hands on this Hungarian short film, do so by all means. Highly professional, highly recommended.