Writhing (2018)

Actor Robert John Torres makes his writing, directing, and producing debut with the short film Writhing (2018). The film deals with some particularly heavy subject matter in a very expressive way that only film can allow an artist to explore. The film centers on Everett (Reed Alvarado) a young man who must come to terms with the fact that he is staring down the barrel of an HIV positive diagnosis after a recent doctor's visit. The film then metaphorically takes Everett on a journey, essentially, through the Kübler-Ross five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Rather than doing this literally, Torres uses everything from avant-garde film techniques to modern dance as he takes Everett on his path to acceptance of his diagnosis. The film features many scantily clad characters dancing through the frame at various times, but with very few credited actors, it was tough to nail down exactly who was whom. However, one name we couldn't miss was that of Keanu Uchida playing a character known only as "Humanoid Figure." We see him at different points in the film, including one scene where he's dressed in a very strap-heavy outfit as he writhes on a bed while bathed in red light. Not long after that, Keanu's character appears on a rooftop in broad daylight doing an eclectic celebration of dance! It's a wonder to behold his body as he does things with it he has obviously trained his whole life for! Despite the serious subject matter, there's no denying that Writhing is one short film that's long on pleasure!