This is another review in my series from the HollyShorts film festival (13-23 Aug).
Aurora (Angad Aulakh, 2026)
A curious sci-fi short, Aurora follows Freddie (Guy Kent), the solo survivor of an accident in flight. Whether it is space or a simulator is not clear at first from what we see on screen, but it becomes clear mistakes were made and information withheld.
Writer/director Angad Aulakh offers unsettling visual touches in this black and white film, offering an uneasy feeling throughout. Perhaps a longer run time would allow this aspect of Aurora to be more fully explored.
Freddie’s feelings of guilt at being that survivor, as well as the physical and emotional effects of making it out alive, lead to confusing visions in this disconcerting and visceral psychological horror. There are definite chills in the air.
Aurora does feel influenced in part by Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey and that film’s unusual and perplexing ending – but Aurora shows considerable style, energy and flair of its own and does not feel simply homage.
In terms of the story, it is a bit impenetrable with an ambiguity that isn’t fully resolved. Good performances from Kent and Jennalyn Ponraj as his partner offset this with a personal core of plot that feels realistic and warm.
Aurora is part of this month’s HollyShorts Film Festival.