WFG RATING: A

An Alsym Films production. Directed and edited by Thomas Angeletti. Produced by Thomas Angeletti and Timothy J. Cox. Written by Timothy J. Cox. Cinematography by Jake Reynolds.

Stars Beth Metcalf and Timothy J. Cox.

A detective finds himself trying to make a decision that could affect his life and career in this emotional short film.

After a funeral is held for a detective murdered in the line of duty, the victim’s father and sister sit and talk. The father, who is also a veteran detective, has learned the ones responsible for his son’s death are still at large. He finds himself with a dilemma, but one involving his moral compass. He is trying to determine not only to go after the perpetrators but whether he should arrest them or exact revenge. The latter tends to cause a rift with his daughter, who fears the worst should he decide on revenge.

This emotional drama written by and co-starring Timothy J. Cox is a look at the moral compass of a detective. The film has only two actors who discuss the aftermath of their loved one’s passing. This leads to the father, played by Cox, to determine whether he should find the perps and arrest them or find the perps and kill them to avenge his son. Cox shows an emotional depth in the role of the father.

Beth Metcalf plays the daughter who tries to reason with her father. Metcalf is a great complement to Cox’s suffering father. Fearing the fact that she has already lost her mother and now her brother, she worries that should dad decide to get revenge, she risks losing him too. And this leads to dad drinking and deciding what to do, showing the emotional chemistry between Cox and Metcalf. The final shot brings out a bit of ambiguity.

After is an emotionally charged short film that delves into the moral compass of a suffering father who also happens to be a cop. Powerful performances from Timothy J. Cox and Beth Metcalf drive this film.