In the short film Shadow Brother Sunday, two brothers on very different paths in life find themselves needing each other’s help. But how do you ask for solace, money, and the comfort of old when you can’t even recognise the person standing before you?
Shadow Brother Sunday
Alden Ehrenreich (director and writer), Ben Mullen (cinematography), Joe Peeler (editing)
Alden Ehrenreich, Nick Robinson, Lisa Edelstein, Nick Searcy, Jacob Wysocki (cast)
October 29, 2023 (Austin Film Festival)
The quirkily-named Shadow Brother Sunday is actor Alden Ehrenreich’s directorial debut. Having coincidentally caught a fair amount of Ehrenreich’s work this year, I thought I should give the short film a watch. And I’m glad I did. Clocking in at 15 minutes, Shadow Brother Sunday acts as a perfect teaser for the first act of a feature-length film. I hope, some day, Ehrenreich does expand the story because there’s a fair amount to unpack in the relationships we see in the film.
The protagonist, Cole, played by Ehrenreich, is a down-on-his-luck musician who’s amounted to little. Not only is Cole working a dead-end job to keep his band afloat, but he’s also struggling with cash. Contrast his life with younger brother, Jacob (Nick Robinson), who is well on his way to becoming a star on the silver screen, with all the monetary perks that come with the profession.
As Jacob’s film is set to premiere, the two brothers are invited to a family party to celebrate Jacob’s success. There’s clearly no favourite child in this family, right?
It isn’t really surprising when Cole realises he has the opportunity to make some fast money, and bring his little brother down a peg. A shady publication is ready to publish whatever dirt Cole can find on Jacob. But when he comes face-to-face with Jacob, Cole suddenly has doubts about his next steps. Destroy his relationship with Jacob or get some much-needed money?
I love short films, and honestly, it’s often really hard to come across them unless you attend a film festival. A good short can be engaging and insightful, whetting the appetite of the viewer while still being a self-contained and fulfilling story. Shadow Brother Sunday hits all those points. Though the ending leans a bit too far into sentimentality, which can seem cliché for a short, I wouldn’t say that’s a negative within the context of this particular story. Without giving too much away, the sentimentality is needed for the brothers to realise exactly what they’ve lost. Also, props for not being saccharine.
From the opening of Shadow Brother Sunday, it’s obvious that Cole wants to do right by his brother, and his family, but he’s found himself in a very tight corner. When he does ask for help, he’s understandably rebuffed (nobody wants to lend family members money!), and it’s up to him to decide what his actions should be. But whatever decision that is, someone will pay a steep price—either Cole loses his home or Jacob loses his career. The stakes are high despite the brevity of the story and it’s powerful enough to drive the narrative.
What really helps cement the stakes is Ehrenreich’s performance. He’s really good. I know a lot of people have been down on Ehrenreich since Solo: A Star Wars Story, but despite my dislike of that film, he was not the problem. And having seen so many of his recent performances, including those in Cocaine Bear and Oppenheimer, I’d say he’s versatile and has excellent range. That’s on full view in Shadow Brother Sunday—the fear, the simmering anger, the desperation that Cole feels, is all beautifully emoted without Ehrenreich going over the top. Despite sporting a shaggy beard, Ehrenreich doesn’t underutilize his facial expressions.
Robinson as Jacob doesn’t have much of a heavy-lift in terms of acting but he does a decent job. It did feel like Robinson relied a bit too much on telling than showing and I would have preferred a bit more emotion, especially in the scenes between Jacob and Cole. Can’t say if that was the director’s or the actor’s choice but this character deserved a stronger performance.
I enjoyed the pacing of Shadow Brother Sunday. Generally, the cuts between scenes are quick, but Ehrenreich also knows when to hold on to the moment just a bit longer than the characters would have liked. Everyone knows what it’s like to be in a family setting when someone is just a tad bit more belligerent than they have any reason to be, and the film enjoys living in those moments, especially since we know what Cole is doing and why.
Additionally, I thought the use of music in Shadow Brother Sunday was not just apt but clever. There’s a scene between Cole and his father that is punctuated with percussions—you’re not meant to notice it, but you do notice your heartbeat rising. And then the sound stops so your heart goes back to normal. Simple, traditional, but clever.
For a directorial debut, Ehrenreich has done a solid job on Shadow Brother Sunday. And it could easily be turned into a full-length film about characters having to face the consequences of their actions. I would watch that—I’d be uncomfortable throughout but I would watch it. Ehrenreich puts in a great performance, the story itself was well-paced and intriguing, and the editing by Joe Peeler moved the story along very well. I’m glad I got to see it.
