A Single Choice Can Rewrite a Life

Read Time:4 Minute, 54 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
Threat
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Genre: Thriller, Espionage, Drama
Year Released: 2025
Runtime: 9 minutes
Director(s): Arthur Dupuis
Writer(s): Michael-Eoin Stanney
Cast: Michael-Eoin Stanney, Elisa Tarquinio, Jeremy Kaplan, Kimmy Sessions
Where to Watch: shown at the 2025 Art is Alive Film Festival

RAVING REVIEW: THREAT wastes no time establishing its stakes. In under ten minutes, it takes on the emotional and psychological strain of espionage — a life where orders clash with personal values, and consequences ripple far beyond the mission. Stories about covert duty often lean into spectacle, globe-trotting action, or elaborate gadgetry. Director Arthur Dupuis and writer/lead Michael-Eoin Stanney aim for something more grounded: a human caught between loyalty and identity.

Hunter Matthews, portrayed by Stanney, is the kind of lead designed to embody internal warfare. He is tasked with a mission that doesn’t just test his bravery — it dismantles the foundation of who he believes himself to be. The film frames his conflict with a simplicity that hits hard. Protecting one’s country is noble, but what happens when the path to fulfilling that oath is destructive to oneself? The film’s premise confronts this paradox head-on, and even with its short runtime, that central question lands with weight.

The story’s momentum is fueled by silence as much as tension. THREAT allows room for doubt to linger on Stanney’s face — the inner gears turning while he contemplates the cost of duty. His portrayal proves that expressions and quiet hesitation can communicate more than extended monologues ever could. Militant resolve gives way to vulnerability, and the viewer becomes a witness to the unraveling of certainty. It’s a reminder that covert missions rarely deliver clear-cut victories — someone always loses something.

Elisa Tarquinio, playing Athena Williams, makes the most of limited screen time by grounding Matthews emotionally. She represents the life that espionage demands he sacrifice. Her presence isn’t merely motivation — she’s a living reminder of what he stands to lose or betray, depending on which choice he makes. In thrillers often dominated by strategy, THREAT distinguishes itself by ensuring the heart remains present, even when hidden under layers of secrecy.

The film’s structure cleverly mirrors the way high-stakes missions unfold in real life. There’s no leisurely setup — just the harsh reality of a countdown. Decisions must be made instantly and independently. Every shot feels intentional — no wasted coverage or narrative fluff. Astoria, New York, serves as a stand-in for the shadowy world the character inhabits, a textured and gritty setting that avoids being overly stylized.

As a thriller, THREAT succeeds by trusting its audience to fill in the silence with imagination. Instead of explaining every aspect of the mission, it presents the ethical crossroads and allows viewers to sit in discomfort with the protagonist. That restraint is a hallmark of confident short-form storytelling. Rather than rushing to resolve every detail, it leans into ambiguity — a fitting choice for a story about espionage, where certainty is a luxury no character can afford.

While the limited runtime emphasizes urgency, it also hints that THREAT could thrive with a longer runway. There are glimpses of a wider narrative — hints of backstory, relationships, and stakes beyond the immediate conflict — that could expand into a feature or episodic format. However, the film doesn’t feel incomplete; instead, it feels like a single chapter in a larger, more complex story. Sometimes one pivotal choice defines who someone becomes, and this short zooms in precisely on that hinge moment.

One of the most successful aspects of THREAT is its homage to the tradition of smaller-scale thrillers, where suspense is derived from personal stakes rather than explosive action. The tension doesn’t depend on how many enemies are in pursuit but on whether the protagonist can live with himself after making his choice. That’s a smarter kind of danger — the kind that lingers.

As a selection of the Art Is Alive Film Festival, THREAT embodies what indie filmmaking often does best: take familiar genres and sharpen them into intimate character studies. It embraces restraint, aiming not to overwhelm but to provoke thought and empathy. It recognizes that a short thriller doesn’t need high-budget spectacle — it requires a moment that matters. Here, that moment arrives with force.

In the end, Hunter Matthews is left with a question only he can answer: Does fulfilling the oath mean losing everything else? THREAT doesn’t tell us what the right decision is. Instead, it reminds us that choice — even in the most impossible circumstances — is what enables humanity to survive.

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