Film Review: A ROSE FOR KATRINA
by Kathryn Loggins

Harry Quinlan, Australia, 2024

The short film A ROSE FOR KATRINA written and directed by Harry Quinlan is somewhat of a mind game in its story and filmmaking. The story seems simple at first - a young man arrives at a house to pick up his first date, Katrina, and offers her a single rose. But the girl he thinks is Katrina claims the actual Katrina is in the shower and she is her twin sister. She then subjects him to bizarre questioning and what starts as innocent increasingly becomes sinister and absurd. And to add to the confusion Katrina has two roommates, who sit on the couch having their own silly conversation that can be heard throughout. The most interesting aspect of this film is the way in which it was shot. The camera never goes inside the house, but we see all of the action that takes place inside through a window. This gives the film a voyeuristic quality and adds to the fact that everything about this situation just feels off. The film is only nine minutes long but is made to look like it was all shot in one take. I think that stylistic choice helps serve the story because it’s such an entertaining train wreck of a situation and the camera doesn’t let you look away. Harry Quinlan got my attention with this dark comedy, and I think he’s a filmmaker to watch.