It may seem like an obvious statement, but, be very careful when dealing with doctors who offer ‘extra-curricular’ treatments to strangers.
In Luke Barnett and Tanner Thomason’s short The Crossing Over Express, a mysterious doctor rolls into town claiming to be able to give people the chance to talk to the dead. Again, red flag, nothing good ever comes from resurrecting the deceased.
Interestingly, this new ‘treatment’ is played like a dodgy, backhander, where people will pay said doctor for their services.
The process is quite unorthodox as you would expect, in the back of a van, where our doctor puffs away on cigarettes and explains the process. The man who has paid for the privilege wants to speak to his late mother, and this becomes the emotional tug of the film. What would we all say to a relative if we could speak to them one more time? It’s probably something that is hard to articulate, and different for everyone.
The directing duo also adds some wry humor in for when things could get a little heavy.
The Crossing Over Express is a poignant short with some supernatural thrown in for good measure. While effectively taking place in the back of a truck, it’s scope is so much wider and will have you thinking for some time once it finishes.
The Crossing Over Express screened as part of Panic Fest 2024.
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