On Thursday night at Avon Cinema, Brown Motion Pictures premiered four student-made films produced over the course of the semester. From the aftermath of a breakup to a spooky late-night walk, each of the films showcases the BMP’s capacity for creativity and out-of-the-box thinking.
The first film, “CARDIOLOGY,” was directed by Laney Friedland ’25 and written by Alexa Burton ’28 and Ciara Leonard ’28. It follows corporate social media worker Alex (Harry Tarses ’27) as he copes with a breakup, and throughout the film, viewers watch as he attempts to mend his broken heart by going on a series of montaged dates.
What quickly stands out to viewers, though, is the film’s literal interpretation of the phrase “wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve” — as each character has a literal heart on their sleeve. While the film’s dialogue is clunky and overly scripted at times, the best part of the film is the date montage. The ending provides good resolution to some of the issues that arose throughout the film, but multiple questions are left unanswered, and the conclusion feels rushed.
The second film, “GOON,” stands out because of its beautiful, cinematic shots. Directed by Anahis Luna ’25 and written by Javon Crawford ’26, the film follows four friends and a viral video that kills people but brings them eternal bliss.
While much of the acting in “GOON” is strong, some scenes are very awkward, and the plot is somewhat ambiguous. But despite this ambiguity, “GOON” encourages viewers to think deeper about the concept of bliss, or eternal happiness, and how much people would be willing to give up in exchange for it.
“WARPIN’,” the third film premiered Thursday night, was one of the highlights of the evening. Written by Harry Sey ’28 and directed by Henry McDonald ’27, it puts a fun spin on a Bruno classic: the SciLi challenge. But unlike the traditional challenge, in which individuals must take a shot of alcohol on each floor of the 14-story Sciences Library, the film tasks the two characters with eating one Uncrustables sandwich per floor.
The editing and camerawork — in addition to the humorous plot — are only a few of the film’s standout elements. One of the highlights is when, in a t-shirt adorned with Shrek and Donkey, Eliot (Avi Levin ’26) and his friend Tommy (Charlie Fitzgerald ’28) traipse throughout the SciLi eating Uncrustables in a long montage of Uncrustable-induced intoxication.
Ultimately, “WARPIN’” is a beautiful and silly ode to the power of friendship and the importance of caring for one another. Eliot, in particular, displays a wide range of emotions, and the acting is so strong that the audience can almost forget they’re watching scripted characters.
But it is the last film that truly encapsulates what collegiate filmmaking should be. In “SHEET GHOST,” written by Paulie Malherbe ’26, a former Herald opinions chief, and directed by Elizabeth Lokoyi ’25, the acting feels natural and nearly unscripted.
The film follows Laila (Malherbe) as she deals with a boyfriend who leaves her to walk home alone late at night. The paranormal aspects — a ghost in a sheet — of the film still manage to feel eerie largely due to the lighting, editing and perfectly timed music. With its cinematic shots, beautifully directed scenes and stellar acting, “SHEET GHOST” is a must-watch.
The film accurately portrays the feeling of walking around College Hill late at night — or very early in the morning — with a sense of unease and vague paranoia that something spooky is following you. “SHEET GHOST” manages to be a beautiful combination of teenage drama and angst in a way that viewers can genuinely relate to, and in a way that much of today’s coming-of-age media fails to accomplish.
Talia LeVine is a section editor covering arts and culture. They study Political Science and Visual Art with a focus on photography. In their free time, they can be found drinking copious amounts of coffee.
