Stay in the Car movie short review by Movie Review Mom

MOVIE TITLE: Stay in the Car

This movie short is now playing in film festivals. CREDO23 will feature this film on March 28th at noon at the iconic American Legion Hall, Post 43 in Los Angeles.

RATING: R for language

LENGTH: Short Film 7 minutes, 27 seconds!

Movie Review Mom GRADE: A

IN A NUTSHELL:
Stay in the Car is a powerful short film that captures the emotional tension of a seemingly simple moment: a parent asking a child to wait in the car. What unfolds is a layered, suspenseful story about trust, obedience, fear, and consequences. With tight pacing and strong performances, this short packs an emotional punch in a very small window of time. It’s a reminder that ordinary moments can turn extraordinary in an instant.

The film was directed by Calvin Ghaznavi, born to immigrant parents from the Philippines and Iran. The screenplay was written by Amanda Ross in her debut film. Ross stated, “Stay in the Car isn’t just a film about a girl left waiting; it’s about resilience, the courage to face what hurt us, and the freedom that begins the moment we choose ourselves.” Together, Calvin and Amanda wanted to make a character-driven film that would keep viewers thinking and talking after the final rolling credits ended. Mission accomplished!

You can learn more about it at https://stayinthecar.com

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

This short contains suspenseful situations that may be intense for younger viewers.
The emotional tension and uncertainty could feel scary to sensitive children.
We hear 2 F-bombs and another swear word.
It’s an excellent conversation starter about safety, decision-making, and listening to parents.
Best suited for older children, teens, and adults.
A woman smokes.
We see blood on a knife.

THEMES:
• Trust
• Obedience
• Parental responsibility and neglect
• Consequences of choices
• Fear and protection

Survival
Silence

THINGS I LIKED:

Strong emotional performances, especially from Lara Hunter (Dead Life), the actress who plays the young girl. Without ever speaking a word, she shows us fear, uncertainty, disgust, betrayal, despair, and hope.
The cast also includes Timothy V. Murphy (NBC’s Law & Order: Organized Crime) and Ashley Alva (Bird Box).
I like that we don’t know exactly what’s going on and where the girl’s mom is going, but we instantly feel tension when the film begins.
Excellent use of confined space to build suspense.
There are no wasted scenes in this tight storytelling.
We don’t have to know a full backstory to see that the girl has long endured this treatment from her mother and she has reached the end of her rope. She sees the consequences of her mother’s life choices, and so she, herself, needs to decide how she wants to live moving forward. She makes a brave choice, even though she and the audience don’t know exactly what she’s going to do.
Without hardly saying anything, you feel the loneliness in the darkness.
The sound effects are effective at telling you about the kind of neighborhoods the girl is in.
The ending leaves you thinking, wondering what will happen next. We really don’t know anything about the girl, but we already believe in her because she was able to make a difficult decision about what’s best for her life.