By Juan Markos
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 09/17/2025
Systematic oppression, social acceptance, chaos, child endangerment, and insanity are just some of the themes explored in the three films nominated for Best Drama at Hollyshorts Film Festival. These are three very different films, and each brings a unique sense of drama to the table. I watched and reviewed all three films. They are all fantastic. Each features actors and performances that suspend the stories in their brief realities, leaving the audience wanting more.
Mercenaire is written and directed by Pier-Philippe Chevigny. The story revolves around David, an ex-convict portrayed by Marc-André Grondin. He finds himself working in a slaughterhouse as part of an integration program. We get to see firsthand the struggles of an ex-convict adapting to life after a seven-year prison sentence. The film leaves the audience wondering how he finds compassion for the pigs he must slaughter versus the people he interacts with. Do these people deserve to die more than the innocent animals?
Written and directed by Kaitlyn Mikayla and shot on 16MM film, the story centers around Ryan Raggamuffin Myles. She is a female motocross rider, portrayed by Eden Harper, and shares the spotlight with her father, Mad Mike, played by Robert Hadlock. The film is an eccentric look at motocross racers. Although Ryan is the main character, Robert Hadlock steals the show with an intense performance that brings sex appeal and madness to life.
Written and directed by David Cutler-Kreutz and Sam Cutler-Kreutz, the film introduces us to Juaquin, played by Javier Molina, a man trapped in a cat-and-mouse game that showcases the traps of life, systemic oppression, and the struggles of the working class.
The three films deserve the award and express uncomfortable themes of the human condition, social roles, and how their lives are shaped. We are allowed to perceive these characters and scrutinize their actions.
