2AM is a 16 minute, short film, written and directed by Huseyin Hassan.
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The film opens with womanly sounds of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” and a man Alex(Mark Kenfield), who awakens at 2AM with lacerations on his arm, and watches as a white rabbit hops away, and disappears into a wall. Alex, perplexed, rises to his feet and walks over towards a door, which he finds to be locked. Quickly, he finds a set of keys hanging from the wall, and opens the door. Alex steps out into a dimly lit hallway, and begins calling out to anyone, as it appears that the dwelling is vacated. Immediately, ghostly-like voices are heard, a phone rings and Alex answers to a faint voice of a women. Alex turns to see a sobbing nurse, who dissipates in an instant.
Alex startled, begins making his way back into the dark hallway, frantically moving, he makes his way into a room with Sun light beaming through it’s window, as a Psychiatrist (Akira Bradly) awaits Alex’s arrival with open arms. Alex in a state of confusion is assured by the good Doctor, that what Alex is experiencing is a condition of Hypnotherapy. Alex is momentarily calm, but when his Doctor offers him more tea, Alex realizing that he has NOT had tea, begins to panic, as a fade out happens.
Alex awakens, again to roam about in a dreamlike state of mind. “Hush Little Baby” is heared being hummed by a women. Alex enters another room, this time what appears to be an infants bedroom, looking at the backside, of a long blonde haired women cradling an infant. Alex recognizes her as “Sara” and addresses her. The women turns and her face is eerily distorted, then she dissipates. Alex is again, frantic and moving about to faint voices, dark hallways, and a women’s distorted apparition, that is seemingly haunting Alex at each turn. Another fade out occurs.
Alex awakens, again to watch himself enter the room, kneel down, hears himself speak, then the visage of himself dissipates. Alex begins moving about to more ghostly voices, apparitions, and an infant crying, and the white rabbit makes another appearance. Making his way into the Psychiatrist’s office, again. This time his Doctor’s face is distorted and Alex flees in panicked terror. Another fade out happens.
Alex awakens on a lawn to the hauntingly, womanly apparition, that moves creepily at him. He makes his way to a convertible car. A lucky rabbits foot hangs from it’s mirror, and a bottle of liquor is in Alex’s hand. Alex is in the car, driving, and suddenly, the blonde women appears. Alex hits her, he looks back to see her body lying in the street. Alex begins to connect on what has happened, as he makes his way back into the dark dwelling, of his tortured mind.
Grief stricken, Alex finds the security room, and in the desk he finds a hand gun. He takes the gun and the Doctor appears. The Doctor sees Alex’s threatening demeanor and attempts to calm him. Alex begins an admittance of guilt, brandishing the gun, while threatening his own well being. The Doctor is pleading with Alex to disarm. There is gunshot and then a fade out.
This film is about a guilt ridden man, who’s nightmarish life exists in an alternate physical or metaphysical state of reality. Alex in a drunken episode, has likely killed a women with a child, possibly a women closely connected to him. Unable to acknowledge and accept his wrong doing, Alex has taken his own life but remains in a continual Purgatory, where he is forced to face his inner demons.
This short film is shot entirely in first person, from the perspective of the main character, Alex. Whenever a horror film’s narrative is in first person, the moving imagery has to be done well. Huseyin Hassan has crafted a solid, well edited narrative through symbolism, atmosphere, and moving imagery. It’s an overall unsettling short film worth watching!
