Short Film Review: “Michael Solace” Contemplates Selling Out and Selling His Soul
The film blends reality and the supernatural world together, leaving the viewer unsure of what’s real and what’s merely a figment of Michael’s agitated imagination.

This 16mm short film is an homage to the campy beach movies of the 1960s, set within a late 90s time capsule. Shot in 1998 and completed in 2025, the music-driven film features performances by DC and Boston indie rock legends The Make Up, Victory At Sea, and The Wicked Farleys. The film follows Greg and Lesley as they enjoy a summer’s day at the beach. After they befriend a group of locals, their day takes an unexpected turn when everyone gets hungry…
The film blends reality and the supernatural world together, leaving the viewer unsure of what’s real and what’s merely a figment of Michael’s agitated imagination.
Intergenerational friendships and community can be so powerful, and this was a great example.
The fun tricks used in the production design and lighting read extremely well on-screen but hardly fulfill their purpose of trying to inject glamour into a lack-luster story with nothing to say.
In ‘The Owl House’ protagonist Luz Noceda stumbles across a portal to another dimension where magic exists, called The Boiling Isles.
KIMI is the main character of this film and as much as I wish it was Angela Childs played by Zoe Kravitz, it isn't. KIMI is a smart device that works not unlike Amazon's Alexa and Google's Nest assisting in anything from home purchases to music playing all under the guise of only activating when in use.
The animated musical adventure beings fantasy and magic to viewers as they follow Keegan and Moya.