Written and produced by Beau Batterson with direction by Adam Orton, The Last Minute Til Midnight (TLMTM) is a cool homage to classic film noir, while also landing firmly into speculative territory with its bizarre narrative.

Set in the 1940s, the short follows Meg Mahoney (Jessica Denney), an intrepid newspaper reporter - with an extreme nationalist streak - who is obsessed with exposing a powerful, corrupt politician.

Mahoney suspects Representative Tyler (Scott Humeston) is a communist working against the interests of the United States.

However, Babs Kane (Angela Billman), Mahoney’s well-connected and imperious editor-in-chief, orders her to drop the story.

Undeterred, Mahoney continues her investigation which implicates both Kane and the representative in a conspiracy with dire implications for the entire world.

TLMTM is shot in black and white, vital for establishing its dark, moody atmosphere. The sets and locales are almost entirely created via green screens. These two major aspects of the production merge to create a very stylish, dreamy aesthetic, which serves as a fitting tip-of-the-hat to film noir.

The entire cast - especially the lead, Jessica Denney - turn in pitch-perfect performances.

Though the film was shot four years ago, it touches on many themes which are more timely now, including:

• a free press portrayed as the enemy by corrupt power players

• a political demagogue who rises to power by stoking the flames of bigotry, xenophobia, and fear

• the role of religious fundamentalism in the rise of extreme nationalism and intolerance

However, it is the short’s bizarre third act and conclusion that places it deliriously over-the-top into the realm of science fiction. Unfortunately, I can not divulge more because of plot spoilers, but I can say the twists at the end make the film even more audacious.

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