Set in 1931 Belfast, Northern Ireland, “The Crook & The Creek” is a short film that will not go unnoticed, bringing in mind the verbal style of Frank O'Connor’s "A Guest of the Nation" as well as structural elements of Neil Jordan’s "The Crying Game".

Unfortunately directors Bruce Wabbit and Sohaib Syed do not rise to the crest of memorable artistry. While it is evident that the filmmakers had a genuine desire to create something meaningful, the final product leaves much to be longed for, offering an experience that is neither creative nor fundamentally flawed, but rather, adequate.

Although the narrative does not lack clarity, the story introduces the conflict between notorious bank robber Rauri Daly (Joseph Sahrkey) and constable Brian Rohan (Sohaib Syed) in a haphazard manner. This makes it difficult to connect with the characters and empathize with their struggles thus preventing the audience from fully investing in their interesting journey through the woods. A journey during which a conversation between the two tough men, while in a hostage situation, “leads to a grisly tale of family and survival”.

Still, there are moments of genuine emotion, with memorable acting by both Sahrkey and Syed.

The cinematography, while well executed, fails to create an impactful atmosphere, mainly because of the occasional inconsistent lighting which weakens the viewing experience, leaving us with a sense of unfulfilled potential. On the contrary the, near to impeccable, editing manages to enhance pacing, adding to the captivating visual narrative, elevating the plot further.

In the end of the film, the use of the exceptional poem “When Tomorrow Starts Without Me” (written by David M. Romano) as an attempt to elevate the sorrow and mourning toward the main hero in a level of prestige that would exceed its “object” of reference thus intensifying the story’s tragic impact, creates a somewhat awkward connection between the viewer and the film. Exactly because it rather sets a disproportionate connection between the work’s weaker aesthetic value in comparison to the magnitude and greatness of the poem itself, making the latter stand out to such a degree that weakens our previous filmic experience instead of bringing it forward.

“The Crook & The Creek” is a well structured short film that fails to overwhelm us. We would really like to see how it would turn out with a proper budget behind it and both directors on location.
Nevertheless, we will watch it again.