I really don't know how you come up with ideas so fabulous! I'm a huge fan of your short films! You never fail to amaze me. Eagerly waiting for your next short...
oh gawd the subtle jump scare with the book shelves and the agh. really good at the whole thriller aspect. one of the best horror/thriller sketches i've seen on the internet! good job anna you're super talented!!
At first I didn't get how all of these clips would make a whole film overall, you know? They are all different cameras and if this was truly meant to be a documentary-type real story then someone in the story must have put them all together and it didn't make sense since Alex never really knew about them and she died (duuh) but then I realised- This whole thing is the case-evidence that the CIA have gathered after finding the body! The film is of course meant to be understood in more than one way but the way I see it is this. As someone below mentioned it's the story of a life-long friendship between two girls and one of them is so overblown and praised by everyone including the best friend that she grows up to be egoistic and eventually plain mental. She gets obsessed with joining the CIA and when she isn't accepted writes a letter to herself imagining that she is and when the other friend she has problems with catches on to her madness she decides to strike her. The attack is very poorly executed but Maddie doesn't know that I think- she believes she's brilliant in everything she does. Alex catches up with her friend's madness and sends the tapes to the CIA. Maddie has realised that Alex is on to her so she starts observing her until she finally decides to kill her and say it's suicide. She doesn't take the camera off of her because she is convinced the body is far too hard to find. The other girl however spreads the idea it;s not suicide and after time the body is found. Maddie is brought in just for interrogation but she still smiles because in her mind she IS in the CIA and she IS living her dream. THEN perhaps they find the evidence and perhaps eventually the body (we can't really be sure about that) since she is obviously not under lockdown at the end she is just being questioned. Brilliant piece of work, Anna. I adore it.
Also I think the "gift" that Maddie gave Alex had a camera in it that's why it started showing footage from Alex's perspective. The part when she walks in on Alex sleeping is probably to test out the camera necklace (and also bc she's psycho and wanted to look at alex and plot how to kill her)
Just saying, the laptop exploded because as you will know, Maddie used to work on computers and laptops, meaning she would have the knowledge on how to make the electrical fault occur, but still with a good back story so it would seem like an accident.
Why you aren't producing movies yet is beyond me. This was fantastic work. The only thing I thought was kind of off was the whole cheating boyfriend thing. Your character was way too cool with the idea of her roommate cheating with her boyfriend. Maybe that's the character you wanted her to be but it just felt unnatural. Still felt it was incredible!!!
Well initially Alex ran away in the intial stages of freaking out and then the footage cuts out. She probably didn't want to give the cheating and reaction to much screen time bc it's not a huge deal to the film; Maddie's reaction to it was what mattered.
Jennifer Tremblay I took that as the character simply not being interested in recording anything while she processes the emotions that came with her boyfriend cheating. So when she starts recording again, she's a little over it.
Maybe Anna's character's reaction wasn't super strong/aggressive (I'd run away too), but Maddie implies she hasn't been recording for a while (I.e going through a miniature depressive lull, as to be expected when you catch your boyfriend and room mate.), as well as the hostility to the room mate shows she WASN'T just okay/cool with it. Maybe it's not the most dramatic way to handle it, but a) that would detract from the story I think, and b) There's more than one way to skin a cat.
I just want to point something out, in the thumbnail the word "LOOSE" is over Maddie's eyes because she's losing her sanity. The word "ENDS" is Alex's eyes because her life ends, or because of there friendship ending hence "ENDS"
Lancelot Advincula no they didn't. They were saying her sanity is loose or not entirely there. Even using the word losing means the same in that particular context
Annemie Feron I know but after reading the comment section I was pretty surprised that no one came up with that theory. Everyone was literally asking things like "wait, if the CIA sent her a letter why did they use pencil?"
SPOILER ALERT! If you re-watch the first 20 seconds you can see that maddie always had an issue with her ego...she pushes alex in the pool...and then the way she looks at alex and smiles when the parents compliment her telling her shes special?
+gravitypotato the room mate turned all psycho and killed the best friend and injured the room mate in the most subtly fucked up ways possible. It was really good, watch it.
Anna, I recently found you, and yo're so good at acting, producing, and directing. I'm really impressed. The quality of your shorts are compatible with the quality from the movie theatres! That's saying something (:
The acting is so great, are you two best friends in real life? Jesus, it's just so much more realistic and natural than Hollywood found-footage movies. It makes sense because you're an independent creator, I just wish people like you were working in the big films!
Yeah it is 1:00 am and I got creeped out. Exactly it’s scary and the main scary thing about it is that it is possible! Mental illness is a scary and real thing!
One of the best found footage materials ive seen in a long time. original and surprising. only in one shot i could think "oh now she is doing the paranormal activity thing" the rest i was totally in. great shit
THIS IS SUCH A GOOD SHORT FILM. I don't even comment on things ever but this film was so well directed, especially the moments of tension, I just had to let you know the good feedback. Keep up the good work Anna :D Also, loved your cameo in Antman. Stay awesome :))
This was one of the best films I've ever seen, short or not. It has foreshadowing, an interesting plot, amazing acting, and a twist! Psychological thriller has always been my favorite and you nailed it Anna!
I've noticed a lot of people believe the roommate wrote the letter or Maddy did. I believe Maddy did because during everything that happened when she was becoming a 'CIA' agent she let Alex see and know everything. Except the letter. That was the one exception so I think she wrote it and knew Alex would recognize her handwriting. This is also my belief that she is being interrogated instead of recruited because they would have gone through huge background searches. They'd find something that could lead to them finding her guilty because suicide notes on technology versus handwritten are much easier to copy and they're not stupid. Plus they know behavior of someone who is not quite well and would probably bring her in for questioning just to see how bad it was. Again, my theory.
ashhopper42 I’m a bit late but...oh my god thank you. I guess you could say I wasn’t putting together the “loose ends”, but what you said made so much sense.
I thought that they would find evidence on Alex's laptop saying that taylor killed her. Like I honestly expected Maddie to frame Taylor and tell the police about how Alex's boyfriend cheated on her with Taylor..
Dear future me, after watching please dont make friends. Its for the best bb just dont ok. Well at least if they arent crazy ppl but u never know so. Just dont make friends with crazy ppl stay a cat lady for ever Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
I had to watch it twice to understand it. And I'm going to say something I just now realized so. Spoilers (I think) When Marie went to go "check the walls" which is where Taylor was. She messed with her laptop so she was hurt. I am probably an idiot but I just now realized this
+Claxst I think she wrote the letter to herself, so she got crazier and crazier and she genuinely believed the letter. When she was with the police I'm pretty sure they figured out she was crazy and killed her best friend.
This was AMAZING, every aspect of it drew me in - And the first scene of the two when they were younger was so brilliantly placed there. I was totally engaged the whole way through, and the documentary style really helped that. I also liked how haunting it got towards the end.The characters seemed like they really had a lot of depth, they felt real and I can't praise the film enough!
Maddie reminds me in certain ways of Amy Elliott Dunne from Gone Girl. :) The scene of her putting up the map and doing "research", her lack of conscience in executing "justice" and revenge by killing and hurting people, graduating from an Ivy League university, having parents with high expectations, acting completely fake in the media... And of course the fact that she's a sociopath. Good job Anna on developing her character so deeply in the short time limit! I love psychological thrillers - one of the reasons I always look forward to your films.
Whoa...I love how it started off light and normal, but then it quickly spiraled down to something else. All of your films are presented in such an eerily beautiful way - totally enjoyed watching this one!
Oh my gosh... Chills... so dark. This is the best one yet that was amazing! The filming and set up and tension and such a twist. I thought the one who lost it was your character or the roommate at first and that played out really interesting. I'm so impressed and happy! Ahhhh keep making short films forever.
Ruben Lie A Jen Sammmeeee. I totally did not put together that she set the laptop to explode though until the reveal of her writing the letter to herself.
Oh my Christ, that was amazing, I can't express how happy I am for you. I've been subbed for 1-2 years, and it's incredible seeing you grow. This short film was nothing less than noteworthy. I didn't think it was going to be good to be honest, but it genuinely surprised me. Glad that you are back in psychological horror short films. Keep on directing
Wow, that was really intense. I love the style you shot it in, and seriously all your performances were absolutely amazing, massive kudos to everyone involved!
Amy Holt I was especially impressed with your performance - you just made me believe you 100%, which I can't imagine is easy with a role like that! There was no overstatement, it was just... just perfect, honestly. All the best for your further acting career!!
just discovered this chanel... I must say, as a cinema enthusiastic, this is the best handheld camera movie i've seen since REC, Monsters or the beginning of cloverfield... amazing job.
Anna, this is really amazing work. It's not the usual youtuber-haha-funny film. You managed to give us alot of information throughout the film and gave us all the opportunity to discuss and think about it towards the end. You're like the female version of Christopher Nolan. :) This is really something else. You are something else. I love it.
Oh. My. God. This was so fucking incredible!!! I'm completely astonished. It's perfect, not just the story and the acting, but the filming, the sound, the image. I don't know much about directing, but this was not at all the work of an amateur! I've seen other short films of yours, but this one is just amazing. CONGRATS! To the whole team! I can't even shiver, I'm freezed, for real.
What’s tragic is that Taylor was close about the reasoning why Maddie would never get into the CIA. They don’t care about your moral character, they care primarily about efficiency and your ability to keep your work secret. The moment Maddie told everyone she was applying to work for the CIA, she had already disqualified herself. Even if you do get a job with the CIA, the cover story for the rest of your life will be that you just work a boring government job
I know everyone in the comments has their own analysis, but in my mind Maddie was in that office in the end because Alex sent the tapes to the CIA. They didn’t think much of it, but then Alex died, and so they brought Maddie in. In her mind, she’s there to be initiated or something, but they’re actually trying to arrest her.
I've watched this every year for about 6 years now and I just thought of how the ending I originally thought was an interview by the CIA could also mean she was caught.
I hope that one day I`ll have enought time and money for making my own short films. Thanks for inspiring us Anna, Lots of love from a small Slovenian youtuber, Tina
Okay, I've already commented once, but I just finished watching this and it has to be the best independent short film I've seen on UA-cam. It had truth, menace, subtlety, wit, made great use of the camera and Amy Holt was brilliant, her character's arc was clear and felt genuine throughout. I cannot speak highly enough about this film. Fantastic.
this was probably your best short film, the acting was amazing , characters were relatable and there was this weird uncomfortable atmoshphere like something bad was going to happen throughout the whole film. Great work anna.
Reporter says she's 25, but the missing person poster says 22 x) No matter how much you edit, something always slips through, doesn't it? Loved the vid x
Anna Akana Character scripts with basic info! Like age, full name, parents name. City they lived in, etc. Helps me from making the little mistakes myself when writing at least :P
DinosaurLizzie I think Anna/Alex sent the footage she had to the CIA, before she was killed. And that's why Maddie got caught and she is there at the end. Her smile maybe is just because she is crazy. What she says at 15:52 makes it clear to me, but it's just a theory.
I love how it was shot, first good use I've seen of home docco style that actually built suspense without looking forced. I'm excited about the amazing stuff that this community is making :)
I'm 16 minutes in to this and its half 12 at night. reading the comments tells me that this is going to get seriously scary and I don't know whether to keep watching or to finish it tomorrow
Bravo! Mrs Akana you have grown! I loved the moment when Maddie took over. But, I think the CIA will check her mentalness and kick her out, also trace Alexses murder back to her! Great job tho!
Akaki მაქაცარია i think the camera angle is exactly the same as the one she placed in alexandra's room isnt it? and just as she wrote herself the letter i think she really believed that she was accepted into the CIA so she is probably in alexandra's room imagining everything?
My longest short film to date! Hope you enjoy
Anna Akana it gave me the chills... great short film!
This film was amazing!
I really don't know how you come up with ideas so fabulous! I'm a huge fan of your short films! You never fail to amaze me. Eagerly waiting for your next short...
Holy crap that was amazing
So awesome and scary and UGH I LOVED IT!
holy crap that bookshelf scene it scared me so much
alyssa shum same
alyssa shum I know xD
alyssa shum I actually screamed out loud, never expected this. These short films are amazing.
Same, i literally jumped
SAME I WAS GOING TO FCKING CRY
This went 0 to Maddie real quick.
DN4Man lol
DN4Man is
It was chill until the part when Maddie set up that camera in Alex's room. *shivers*
I know and was just a close up of her face. Freaky!!
ahhhh same 😣
Erica Pinnegar same it scared me so much it made my eyes water I’m just hiding in the comments now
SAME IM TERRIFIED TO PRESS PLAY
Erica Pinnegar geezus its 3 am, i can't sleep and i don't want to watch this part
I really do like the characters in this film. The flaws especially.
jammersss ikr
oh my god. wow. I'm honestly speechless, this is seriously good material
Emilia Manninen yes this was like a movie
Can someone tell me what I just saw?
That bookshelf scene freaked the shit out of me when i saw maddie's face in the crack. I love how it was filmed it feels very real :)
oh gawd the subtle jump scare with the book shelves and the agh. really good at the whole thriller aspect. one of the best horror/thriller sketches i've seen on the internet!
good job anna you're super talented!!
YES! It freaked me out!
I jumped and almost fell off the couch!😂
I literally did the same!!
nartennovy 6026 I should brace for impact then
What’s the book shelf scene I forgot
At first I didn't get how all of these clips would make a whole film overall, you know? They are all different cameras and if this was truly meant to be a documentary-type real story then someone in the story must have put them all together and it didn't make sense since Alex never really knew about them and she died (duuh) but then I realised- This whole thing is the case-evidence that the CIA have gathered after finding the body!
The film is of course meant to be understood in more than one way but the way I see it is this.
As someone below mentioned it's the story of a life-long friendship between two girls and one of them is so overblown and praised by everyone including the best friend that she grows up to be egoistic and eventually plain mental. She gets obsessed with joining the CIA and when she isn't accepted writes a letter to herself imagining that she is and when the other friend she has problems with catches on to her madness she decides to strike her. The attack is very poorly executed but Maddie doesn't know that I think- she believes she's brilliant in everything she does. Alex catches up with her friend's madness and sends the tapes to the CIA. Maddie has realised that Alex is on to her so she starts observing her until she finally decides to kill her and say it's suicide. She doesn't take the camera off of her because she is convinced the body is far too hard to find. The other girl however spreads the idea it;s not suicide and after time the body is found. Maddie is brought in just for interrogation but she still smiles because in her mind she IS in the CIA and she IS living her dream. THEN perhaps they find the evidence and perhaps eventually the body (we can't really be sure about that) since she is obviously not under lockdown at the end she is just being questioned.
Brilliant piece of work, Anna. I adore it.
Simona thanks for explaining, I was so confused
Also I think the "gift" that Maddie gave Alex had a camera in it that's why it started showing footage from Alex's perspective. The part when she walks in on Alex sleeping is probably to test out the camera necklace (and also bc she's psycho and wanted to look at alex and plot how to kill her)
Carman Chiu omg I didn't notice that! that makes so much sense! thanks for explaining that!
I was multitasking when I started watching this... Not by the end. Fantastic film making, loved the concept.
Haha Same
Same!
me too! haha :) it was so creepy though, i was so engaged throughout. i also loved how the story continued in the credits. good job anna!
AJ Martinez sammeee
AJ Martinez same!!!
That was so good oh my god! Psychological thriller stuff is my favorite and that was one of the best ive seen in a long time!
Mosama Yay! So glad you liked it!
+Amy Holt YOU WERE AMAZING IN THERE BY FAR MY FAVOURITE CHARACTER IN IT!!!
+Amy Holt You acted incredibly well. You're like jake gyllenhaal from night crawler in Brit marling's body. Insane!
Just saying, the laptop exploded because as you will know, Maddie used to work on computers and laptops, meaning she would have the knowledge on how to make the electrical fault occur, but still with a good back story so it would seem like an accident.
im sure everyone realized that already
no_ thanks I didn't until I read that.
Yes, we all know. Lol
no thank you i didnt
Brooke McGann Thank you! I was really confused with that part
Maddie's acting was great.
krneel128 Amy's*
+krneel128 Lol did you just tag yourself
vanosaurusrex
meanwhile, you did not tag me. hint: you have to see the list of options pop up as you type in @[user name]
oh oops
vanosaurusrex
thanks for not tagging me again, jerk. actually, i don't know why I was still notified. thanks for confusing me, jerk.
Why you aren't producing movies yet is beyond me. This was fantastic work. The only thing I thought was kind of off was the whole cheating boyfriend thing. Your character was way too cool with the idea of her roommate cheating with her boyfriend. Maybe that's the character you wanted her to be but it just felt unnatural. Still felt it was incredible!!!
Jennifer Tremblay Hey Jennifer! Not sure why this comes across when my character calls her a slut and yells at her?
+Anna Akana I agree. The first reaction, when your character is filming and catches them, I think it's just not enough.
Well initially Alex ran away in the intial stages of freaking out and then the footage cuts out. She probably didn't want to give the cheating and reaction to much screen time bc it's not a huge deal to the film; Maddie's reaction to it was what mattered.
Jennifer Tremblay I took that as the character simply not being interested in recording anything while she processes the emotions that came with her boyfriend cheating. So when she starts recording again, she's a little over it.
Maybe Anna's character's reaction wasn't super strong/aggressive (I'd run away too), but Maddie implies she hasn't been recording for a while (I.e going through a miniature depressive lull, as to be expected when you catch your boyfriend and room mate.), as well as the hostility to the room mate shows she WASN'T just okay/cool with it. Maybe it's not the most dramatic way to handle it, but a) that would detract from the story I think, and b) There's more than one way to skin a cat.
I just want to point something out, in the thumbnail the word "LOOSE" is over Maddie's eyes because she's losing her sanity.
The word "ENDS" is Alex's eyes because her life ends, or because of there friendship ending hence "ENDS"
😱
Mind Blown!
You just mistook loose for lose my friend.
Lancelot Advincula no they didn't. They were saying her sanity is loose or not entirely there. Even using the word losing means the same in that particular context
also she's called Maddie because she's mad and people die around her
This was amazing. You should make horror movies. This was a great story and amazingly directed. Also good acting.
Maybe Maddie went crazy midway and wrote the CIA acceptance letter to herself
I was actually thinking the same thing
+smashboxed99 I think that is what is actually happing in the movie
.
Annemie Feron I know but after reading the comment section I was pretty surprised that no one came up with that theory. Everyone was literally asking things like "wait, if the CIA sent her a letter why did they use pencil?"
+smashboxed99 or they didn't want to leave any trace of it. Unlikely, but possible...
That was really good and really terrifying.
I'm half way through and i'm scared. Her short films are absolutely amazing but they always give me chills😣
That holy tree which holds Jimin's shiny pepper She is honestly one of the most talented people I've ever seen
Same
Holy shit that scared me so much, and I pretty sure that the letter was written by Maddie herself.
Yeah me too
@Emonii Moore uh this is why toddlers shouldn’t be on youtube
When I was about 4 or 5 I used to think that the C.I.A stand for "Cops in America".
lol this kinda made the short film less scary for me
SPOILER ALERT!
If you re-watch the first 20 seconds you can see that maddie always had an issue with her ego...she pushes alex in the pool...and then the way she looks at alex and smiles when the parents compliment her telling her shes special?
itsfionah When I saw that at first I was like "This girl is gonna grow up to be a b!!!!!!!!tch (and already is one)".
+itsfionah It's small details like that, that make a great director/writer.
Melody Thi is my cousin! She played young Alex!
Sarah Thi Got proof?
Sarah Thi rip
Sarah Thi cool!
Sarah Thi kinda late but that's really cool! oml I sound so wierd sjsksjsk
I was pretty scared when Maddie look through that hole or something.
Same
omg sameee
omg sameee
Around 13:00? SAME.
Or at 17:00? DANG HER FACE SCARES ME.
Anna! I am thoroughly impressed. I didn't grow disinterested at any point. Very well done!
Thoroughly. Off by one letter. Still pretty good though since most people on the internet can't even spell even.
theHungry Bunana i dont wanna be annoying but your grammar isn't even completely correct even
Laura Yay! I'm so happy you enjoyed it! Anna's the BEST!
Reinturtle Really? Wow, I thought it was right. What was I missing?
theHungry Bunana just messing with you, you typed even twice accidentially
I knew this would turn scary
I was so scared to watch the ending
sameen chatoo same omg
sameen chatoo I didn't watch it I got too creeped out, what happened?? xD
tysm this comment saved me i was about to start watching it in the night
+gravitypotato the room mate turned all psycho and killed the best friend and injured the room mate in the most subtly fucked up ways possible. It was really good, watch it.
blonde is such an actor omg omg am in love what a talent
That .... ending ...... o.0
You don't usually find good quality drama on youtube :D
Anna, I recently found you, and yo're so good at acting, producing, and directing. I'm really impressed. The quality of your shorts are compatible with the quality from the movie theatres! That's saying something (:
Amy's smiles killed me.
The acting is so great, are you two best friends in real life? Jesus, it's just so much more realistic and natural than Hollywood found-footage movies. It makes sense because you're an independent creator, I just wish people like you were working in the big films!
+MellowJelly Thank you love! Anna will be soon I'm sure of it! ;)
Why did I have to watch this at night
And the night before the first day of school
It's exactly 11:59 PM for me rn
*shudders*
Did anyone else read the comments before watching to see if is scary?
SPOILER:it is
Thanks for the heads up, I was half way through when I read this I can't stop now. I'm fucked
+Joan Sto.Domingo HAHA😂😂
+Joan Sto.Domingo omg!! Same!!
+ChemicalPrincess yeah :)
mcrx9/23/16 meeee
Why on earth did I decide to watch this ish at night!!! I swear I'm going to pee my pants AHH
I know right! I'm just lingering in the comment section to calm me down lol
+InfinityFlight so m i .. this is scary
I'm watching this at 2am with the lights off omfg I'm so scared
Especially since the start/first half is so normal.. Makes you feel like this could all happen IRL :(
Yeah it is 1:00 am and I got creeped out.
Exactly it’s scary and the main scary thing about it is that it is possible! Mental illness is a scary and real thing!
I was getting serious Paranormal Activity vibes from this and I was like, "if freaking Maddie is standing behind Alex at anytime I swear to God.." XD
One of the best found footage materials ive seen in a long time. original and surprising. only in one shot i could think "oh now she is doing the paranormal activity thing" the rest i was totally in. great shit
wtf did i just watch im kinda scared of my friends now
Jerry G
Exactly how it made me feel.
Don't worry they probably don't care that much about you
THIS IS SUCH A GOOD SHORT FILM. I don't even comment on things ever but this film was so well directed, especially the moments of tension, I just had to let you know the good feedback. Keep up the good work Anna :D Also, loved your cameo in Antman. Stay awesome :))
Shantelle Nagarajan Thanks so much Shantelle!!
Shantelle Nagarajan riiiight!! really enjoyed it too
***** aha, why look so good when u dnt understand
This was one of the best films I've ever seen, short or not. It has foreshadowing, an interesting plot, amazing acting, and a twist! Psychological thriller has always been my favorite and you nailed it Anna!
I've noticed a lot of people believe the roommate wrote the letter or Maddy did. I believe Maddy did because during everything that happened when she was becoming a 'CIA' agent she let Alex see and know everything. Except the letter. That was the one exception so I think she wrote it and knew Alex would recognize her handwriting. This is also my belief that she is being interrogated instead of recruited because they would have gone through huge background searches. They'd find something that could lead to them finding her guilty because suicide notes on technology versus handwritten are much easier to copy and they're not stupid. Plus they know behavior of someone who is not quite well and would probably bring her in for questioning just to see how bad it was. Again, my theory.
ashhopper42
I’m a bit late but...oh my god thank you. I guess you could say I wasn’t putting together the “loose ends”, but what you said made so much sense.
One look at Maddie’s room and I am sure they knew what they were probably dealing with. Not to mention creepy smiles every time on camera.
I thought that they would find evidence on Alex's laptop saying that taylor killed her. Like I honestly expected Maddie to frame Taylor and tell the police about how Alex's boyfriend cheated on her with Taylor..
got a secret can you keep it
Taking this one to the grave ?
Swear this one you'll save
Better lock it, in your pocket
taking this one to the grave
Because two can keep a secret
Dear future me, after watching please dont make friends. Its for the best bb just dont ok. Well at least if they arent crazy ppl but u never know so. Just dont make friends with crazy ppl stay a cat lady for ever Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
You don’t know they’re crazy until too late.
Same
It was like oh this is just a cute film about a girl who wants a really good job and her friend is helping her but by the end oh boy
SO GOOD!! Is it weird that I've watched this short film several times??
NishiPetals sooooo good! with such a dark twist as well
Not at all literally same lol
This is one of my favorite short films! Perfectly paced, and just thrilling enough to give me chills. Well done!
I had to watch it twice to understand it. And I'm going to say something I just now realized so. Spoilers (I think)
When Marie went to go "check the walls" which is where Taylor was. She messed with her laptop so she was hurt. I am probably an idiot but I just now realized this
And I think she did this because Taylor wrote the cia acceptance letter
+Delilah Bowdon huh?! She wasn't accepted?! gosh, then what's the call from those police...
+Claxst I think she wrote the letter to herself, so she got crazier and crazier and she genuinely believed the letter. When she was with the police I'm pretty sure they figured out she was crazy and killed her best friend.
Miranda G ohh.. thanks!
I noticed it the second time I watched
This was AMAZING, every aspect of it drew me in - And the first scene of the two when they were younger was so brilliantly placed there. I was totally engaged the whole way through, and the documentary style really helped that. I also liked how haunting it got towards the end.The characters seemed like they really had a lot of depth, they felt real and I can't praise the film enough!
Maddie reminds me in certain ways of Amy Elliott Dunne from Gone Girl. :) The scene of her putting up the map and doing "research", her lack of conscience in executing "justice" and revenge by killing and hurting people, graduating from an Ivy League university, having parents with high expectations, acting completely fake in the media... And of course the fact that she's a sociopath. Good job Anna on developing her character so deeply in the short time limit! I love psychological thrillers - one of the reasons I always look forward to your films.
Whoa...I love how it started off light and normal, but then it quickly spiraled down to something else. All of your films are presented in such an eerily beautiful way - totally enjoyed watching this one!
i'm hiding in the comment section
Maud van der Steen ya me too
found u
Maud van der Steen dude me too I'm scared
same here, soo creepy!
I can't...I am on a phone:,(
Anna, you've seriously outdone yourself on this one. My favourite part about it all was that non of the characters are likeable, but they're human
Oh my gosh... Chills... so dark. This is the best one yet that was amazing! The filming and set up and tension and such a twist. I thought the one who lost it was your character or the roommate at first and that played out really interesting. I'm so impressed and happy! Ahhhh keep making short films forever.
Rhiannon Brenner I feel bad for the roommate XD
Ruben Lie A Jen Sammmeeee. I totally did not put together that she set the laptop to explode though until the reveal of her writing the letter to herself.
Rhiannon Brenner I didn't till the ambulance
10/10 IMDB and 100% Rotten Tomatoes
Oh my Christ, that was amazing, I can't express how happy I am for you. I've been subbed for 1-2 years, and it's incredible seeing you grow. This short film was nothing less than noteworthy. I didn't think it was going to be good to be honest, but it genuinely surprised me. Glad that you are back in psychological horror short films. Keep on directing
Kinda miss your weekly Friday vid, but glad to see you make more content :)
wow anna's films are getting better each time!
Beware people scrolling through the comments section! There are many spoilers, I suggest you stop now!!!!!!
Sarah Arndt Yeah, we know that.
mecre8tive jj
"do you know why you're here?" It was at this moment that Maddie realised, she fucked up.
Wow, that was really intense. I love the style you shot it in, and seriously all your performances were absolutely amazing, massive kudos to everyone involved!
Distracted Cellist Thank you!!! And they were brilliant you're right!!! ;)
Amy Holt I was especially impressed with your performance - you just made me believe you 100%, which I can't imagine is easy with a role like that! There was no overstatement, it was just... just perfect, honestly. All the best for your further acting career!!
just discovered this chanel... I must say, as a cinema enthusiastic, this is the best handheld camera movie i've seen since REC, Monsters or the beginning of cloverfield... amazing job.
I swear I really want a sequel with what happened with Maddie
amazing script and concept, was serious yet had a lighthearted tone. great work anna!
jess c thanks so much! glad you liked it!
Lighter tone.... Sure
Lighter tone.... Sure
+Anna Akana that FINAL LINE THOUGH. Perfect.
Anna, this is really amazing work. It's not the usual youtuber-haha-funny film. You managed to give us alot of information throughout the film and gave us all the opportunity to discuss and think about it towards the end. You're like the female version of Christopher Nolan. :) This is really something else. You are something else. I love it.
I think taylor sent her the letter. That's why she puts on a little smile when she's told that maddie got accepted.
oh.
actually that letter was written by maddie only
This is AMAZING! How do you get all the sets and ambulance and WOW. Just WOW WHAT THE
Omg when maddie's face appeared in the bookcase I jumped so much!! Great film so far I'm half way through:D
+Anna Akana PLEASE MAKE A PART TWO
+Anabella Maria Galang I'm in! ;)
Amy Holt YOU'RE AN AMAZING ACTRESS!!!
yus. or just another thriller.
Oh, WOW! Loved it! It gave me the creeps!
This was so engaging a little creepy, but I couldn't turn it off. Great long short film :)
THIS WAS SO FREAKING AMAZING!!!!
Oh. My. God. This was so fucking incredible!!! I'm completely astonished. It's perfect, not just the story and the acting, but the filming, the sound, the image. I don't know much about directing, but this was not at all the work of an amateur! I've seen other short films of yours, but this one is just amazing. CONGRATS! To the whole team! I can't even shiver, I'm freezed, for real.
THIS WAS SOOOOOOO WELL DONE! Amazing job!!!!
I woulda watched this at a theater over Unfriended any time! !!
What’s tragic is that Taylor was close about the reasoning why Maddie would never get into the CIA. They don’t care about your moral character, they care primarily about efficiency and your ability to keep your work secret.
The moment Maddie told everyone she was applying to work for the CIA, she had already disqualified herself. Even if you do get a job with the CIA, the cover story for the rest of your life will be that you just work a boring government job
Darker than I expected. I really enjoyed it.
12:40 scared me
You're not the only one XD
Tayler King I actually thought that was pretty hilarious, idk why.
Tayler King omfg i got the biggest chock ;_;
I almost threw my tablet away...
Tayler King my heart dropped omf
I know everyone in the comments has their own analysis, but in my mind Maddie was in that office in the end because Alex sent the tapes to the CIA. They didn’t think much of it, but then Alex died, and so they brought Maddie in. In her mind, she’s there to be initiated or something, but they’re actually trying to arrest her.
this is amazing.
Tam Pham it was awesome!
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I've watched this every year for about 6 years now and I just thought of how the ending I originally thought was an interview by the CIA could also mean she was caught.
The dialogue sounds so real and genuine
Bro ikr? Can’t believe this hasn’t gone viral or won an Oscar
I hope that one day I`ll have enought time and money for making my own short films.
Thanks for inspiring us Anna, Lots of love from a small Slovenian youtuber, Tina
this was brilliant. i didn't expect the twists, and the style was just spectacular.
Okay, I've already commented once, but I just finished watching this and it has to be the best independent short film I've seen on UA-cam. It had truth, menace, subtlety, wit, made great use of the camera and Amy Holt was brilliant, her character's arc was clear and felt genuine throughout. I cannot speak highly enough about this film. Fantastic.
This was oh-so satisfying. You guys are incredible. I'm in awe.
+L Dinh Yay!
I'm honestly speechless... Wow! This deserves more views. Absolutely brilliant!!
this was probably your best short film, the acting was amazing , characters were relatable and there was this weird uncomfortable atmoshphere like something bad was going to happen throughout the whole film. Great work anna.
Reporter says she's 25, but the missing person poster says 22 x)
No matter how much you edit, something always slips through, doesn't it? Loved the vid x
DarkTiesandRibbons haha dammittttt
Anna Akana Character scripts with basic info! Like age, full name, parents name. City they lived in, etc.
Helps me from making the little mistakes myself when writing at least :P
Anna Akana lol oops!
Nicole Minassian True, but it seems like one of the things they would double-check, no?
What was the very ending bit? WHY WAS SHE THERE?!
DinosaurLizzie They probably found the camera with the evidence and knew she did it
DinosaurLizzie I think Anna/Alex sent the footage she had to the CIA, before she was killed. And that's why Maddie got caught and she is there at the end. Her smile maybe is just because she is crazy. What she says at 15:52 makes it clear to me, but it's just a theory.
I'm TheGeloMonster yeah but what if she's there because she got accepted into the CIA
I figured they brought her in for an "interview" for the "CIA", but it was really regarding Alex.
DinosaurLizzie it's ambiguous.
I love how it was shot, first good use I've seen of home docco style that actually built suspense without looking forced. I'm excited about the amazing stuff that this community is making :)
12:37 I PHYSICALLY JUMPED! OMG WTFFFF
I'm 16 minutes in to this and its half 12 at night. reading the comments tells me that this is going to get seriously scary and I don't know whether to keep watching or to finish it tomorrow
It's not too bad
LOVE this film as well as the switch of cameras that create different kinds of visual effects and psychological changes.
great film i watched the whole thing from start to finish
Masterpiece.
gay
Killer Dog wtf
I'm surprised this isn't on TV yet. This was scary to watch. I finally had time to watch and of all the times to watch, it had to be late at night.
YES I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS FOR SO LONG THANK YOU ANNA I LOVE YOU
I love this anna! :) love all your shorts...you should def make it into a long film in theatres!!! Love you and stay awesome xxx
Goddamn Anna-to convey all of that so truthfully and to do it from *BEHIND the camera* for 98% of the film?! You are a genius.
maddie’s smile can either be super adorable or super sinister wtf
Bravo! Mrs Akana you have grown! I loved the moment when Maddie took over.
But, I think the CIA will check her mentalness and kick her out, also trace Alexses murder back to her!
Great job tho!
She never got accepted by cia. She wrote the letter herself. She's crazy remember?
Shabduli Shinde But what about the ending?
+Akaki მაქაცარია She was most likely being questioned for Anna's whereabouts since they are roommates and besties.
Akaki მაქაცარია i think the camera angle is exactly the same as the one she placed in alexandra's room isnt it? and just as she wrote herself the letter i think she really believed that she was accepted into the CIA so she is probably in alexandra's room imagining everything?
K..?!...?