This week’s short is an earnest tale of redemption. Overcoming the odds. Standing up after being dealt a heavy blow. Trying to blow up the fish that ate your eyeball with dynamite. You know, one of those age old stories Shakespeare used to write about. Schlock Fish, written and directed by Esteban Uribe, is the tale of Olav Zang, the greatest fisherman his local lake has ever seen. If a species of aquatic life exists in that lake, he has one of them on his wall. That is all except the psychopathic Schlock Fish. His first encounter with the dreaded fish resulted in the loss of one of his eyes, and ever since he has been planning his revenge. Filled with ridiculous training montages and failed attempts at vengeance, this fun comedic short adds just the perfect amount of schlock to the traditional revenge story.

The short is actually very well filmed for such silly subject matter. There is a loneliness to the story. Olav, played with incredible deadpan by Kris Swinnen, exists in isolation were it not for his aquatic nemesis. Like Jaws, you never see the dreaded schlock fish, but you feel his presence. Yet the overall tone is never to be taken seriously. At just over 6 minutes, the film delivers the right amount of fun while actually keeping you on your toes, hoping that Olav will receive his much deserved retribution.

Enjoy!

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