Do you remember when you blew the candles out on birthday cakes when you were asked to make a wish?
Didn’t anyone else’s come true? If so, please put it in the comments. I mean, seriously, what would we do if our wishes did come true? The concept seems quite ludicrous, but a perfect fit for a cautionary tale like Wishes.
In Anthony Ladesich’s short, we follow a woman who takes a birthday wish a step further but may pay a heavy price for it.
What we find out, is that she is in a real rut and is using a camera to document her depression for an audience to see.
The central performance from Tiffany Michelle is really impressive, giving this simplistic style a real gravitas and what feels like a fully fleshed-out character in very little time.
Wishes does go to some dark places, with a hint of supernatural activity, but at its core a really relatable story.
This short has a razor-sharp script, which elevates the material to another level. This is one of the highlights of the shorts program at Panic Fest.
Wishes screens as part of Panic Fest 2024.
Bloody Flicks 