Googlebating, I came across another review of “The Bet.” I had sent a screener to the critic some time ago and had given up seeing a review, thinking that either the critic didn’t like it enough to comment or it simply never made it. Apparently I was wrong on both accounts. I didn’t realise when I’d sent the film that the critic is not only a reviewer, but also an activist (not that it has any bearing, really) and that he is part of a The Tenderness Network, “A Community of Activists and Artists for Kids.” I probably wouldn’t have sent the screener if I’d seen that, thinking it would be entirely inappropriate. As it is, I did. And it wasn’t.

One of the creepier and more suspenseful shorts I’ve had the privilege of viewing, “The Bet” is a starkly lit, quiet little film that enters your mind and refuses to leave largely because of what’s NOT said in the film.

It’s so nice when the subtlety that we went for is well-received. It’s also nice that the subtlety translated into something more intense than if we’d gone over the top with screaming craziness. Again, as in many reviews, the ending made a big impact.

The film’s final scene…is one of the most subtle yet hauntingly powerful endings I’ve witnessed in a short film.

He gave the film an A- and 3.5 stars. Pretty cool.

Read the full review HERE.