***Content warning: School shootings
“Callaghan,” a dramatic short film by William Thaxter, approaches the already fraught topic of school shootings and mixes it with themes of familial love and questions about what makes someone a monster. Thaxter controversially puts us in the shoes of someone reckoning with a loved one's violent actions. Set in a high school, this work follows Tim Page, the brother of the school shooter and, perhaps, the catalyst for the tragedy. Tim's brother, Frederick Page, brings a gun to school with the intention of scaring off Tim’s bullies. That doesn't exactly end up happening. Thaxter purposefully makes it unclear on exactly what happens with the bullies, but we know that Fred ends up pulling the trigger on them. In the aftermath, Fred gets taken in as Tim tries to process the traumatic events.
I really enjoyed that Thaxter doesn’t shy away from the complexities of the situation. He intentionally created a story where the morality is a bit dubious and reactions will vary. For some people, the fact that Fred was trying to help out his brother is a major element whereas for others, his actions can never be made acceptable. Another controversial question that’s raised is: Is Fred a monster? Even though we don’t get the exact details, we know he’s not necessarily a cold-blood killer, but does that even matter when we’ve seen the aftermath? It’s complicated and fraught, but I appreciate that Thaxter embraced those aspects in this short film to get people thinking. Additionally, he does it in way that doesn't feel disrespectful to victims of school shootings and their families.
From a technical standpoint, I also liked how the dramatic lighting where characters are shrouded in greens, purples, and yellows contributed to the emotional heart of the work. At the very end, Tim gets on stage and publicly disavows his brother’s actions. In between the normal, bright lighting of his speech, there are dark blue scenes where he's clearly struggling internally. That juxtaposition brings out the fact that Tim has convoluted feelings about the shooting; feelings he never expresses outright. I just think it’s impressive that Thaxter was able to use lighting to make the short film so emotionally evocative in a setting with little dialogue.
Overall, Thaxter approached an extremely difficult topic with grace and nuance. If you’re interested in a short film with complicated themes and beautiful visuals, I’d check it out!
Credits
Written by: William Jack Thaxter
Directed by: William Jack Thaxter
Starring: William Jack Thaxter (Tim Page), Charlie Thaxter (Frederick Page), Stephen Thaxter (Lawyer)
Here's the link on Xerb.tv: https://xerb.tv/channel/dff/video/4682
Image source: https://filmfreeway.com/CALLAGHAN
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