Hunting Bears

Writer and director Jason Ruddy was kind enough to send us his debut short movie, Hunting Bears, which is a take on the disease alzheimer’s.

We see Andy, Joel Beckett (“EastEnders (TV)”, “EastEnders (TV)”), attempting to coax someone out of his car, to go for a walk in some cold, secluded woods.

That person is Andy’s brother, Kenny, Nathaniel Parker (“The Last Duel”, “The Vineyard (TV)”), who doesn’t like where he is and just wants to go home, but Andy says “tough” and the pair set out.

What quickly becomes apparent is the situation the two brothers find themselves in. Kenny has alzheimer’s and with both parents no longer with them, Andy has been forced to look after him for some years.

However, Andy is struggling under the weight of it all, he’s not handling Kenny’s situation well and it’s all about to come to a head.

Alzheimer’s is an awful disease and not just for the person it infects. For their loved ones they are forced to witness, helplessly, someone they love vanish in front of them, sometimes unable to recognise them even.

What it must be like for the person it infects we can only imagine. Personally I find it incredibly scary and had hoped I’d never have to go through it but this has not been the case as someone close has recently been diagnosed.

Anyway, Hunting Bears is a very accomplished debut from Mr. Ruddy. It’s well shot and well performed by our two leading men.

If I had one gripe it would be that the very start of the short, something I’ve purposefully left out of this review, leaves you in no doubt as to how things are going to end which somewhat lessens the tension that Ruddy goes to great lengths to build.

This is a shame as Beckett does remarkably well to line things up whilst Parker is brilliant in his reaction and obedience then shock of it all. That aside, Hunting Bears is well-worth ten minutes of your life.