A man (Dustin Teuber) in a suit and tie slowly awakens next to train tracks. Fear emanating from his eyes as he realizes he is unfamiliar with his surroundings, he begins walking and approaches a nearby onlooker (Justin Thibault) for answers. Faint noises from the small town echo in the distance as the man asks how he got there. A handful of open-ended answers is all he gets as he tries to make sense of the snarky attitude and cryptic wording thrown at him. He continues his journey to a local diner, where he encounters a sharply dressed man (Teddy Pryor) and a precariously charming customer (Jennifer Drummond). Everywhere he goes, and everyone he meets, seems to be in the know about what happened to him. He’s the odd man out, and slowly but surely, the truth finds its way within his grasp.
Director Chris Esper’s 2021 short is a provocative piece that evokes the classics. Written by Kris Salvi, the film pays homage to a bygone era of filmmaking, the kind Rod Serling pioneered back in 1959 with The Twilight Zone. Minimal camera movements and rich black-and-white imagery are the name of the game in Undertaker, and Esper injects a disquieting eeriness into the short that never releases its grip. It’s atmospheric to a tee, and you’ll definitely find yourself on edge trying to discern the possible outcome of the film.
The mystique factor is pushed even further by Teuber’s performance in the lead. Bewildered one moment and confident in the next, it’s a tricky tightrope to walk, and yet the actor pulls it off without a hitch. The Undertaker’s old-school feel extends to its dialogue and makes each conversation concerned with the bigger picture. There’s never just one singular layer to the writing here, and as the story progresses, they gradually reveal themselves. Drummond’s customer is a terrific example. Spectacularly understated in her role, daring you to look deeper.
A terrific little throwback, Undertaker serves up a contemplative mystery and finds filmmaker Chris Esper making some really inspired creative choices along the way.
