#40: Josh in "The Rusted" - Short Film (2015)

Have you ever read a short story that may have been a quick read, but really packed a punch? Or viewed something with a that had a shorter-than-average runtime, yet it was able to leave a big impact on you?

That's how I feel about Josh's 2015 short film The Rusted. This short film may be quick, at roughly 17 minutes before credits, but it covers some pretty intense emotions and character situations within that window that left me speechless.

Trigger Warning: This short film explores sensitive topics like child abuse, so if you're not in a space to interact with such themes right now, I'd advise holding off on watching The Rusted (and continuing reading my commentary - I won't be offended!).

With that disclaimer out of the way, let's chat more about this project!

The Rusted is a great example of what it means to "show and not tell" in storytelling. Much of the abuse that Josh's character, Max, experienced at the hands of his mother as a child wasn't talked about verbatim, but instead hinted at, or felt through the emotions of his character as an adult. For instance, we can get a better sense of his pain and everything he went through when he destroys the room he was renovating, or in the calm moment where his sister was cuddling with him at the end, giving him the closure and sense of comfort he didn't get from his parent.

Similar to the explosion of emotion in a film we recently reviewed, Escobar: Paradise Lost, his character Max has a shock-worthy moment too, where he's overcome with the pain of his past to the point where it triggers an asthma attack. (Which is another "show not tell" element of the abuse - it sounds like the home Max and his sister was raised in was not a safe place to be for multiple reasons.)

I'm pretty confident that this scene will end up on my top favorite Josh performances of all time. Stay tuned to find out if it made the cut, and find this short film streaming on YouTube.

Peace and Joshperity,

G