SHUTTER – MYSTERY BEHIND CLICKS!BY ANDRES RAMIREZ
Directed by Andres Ramirez/ Reviewed by Biplab Das
This short highlights the mysterious work of a photographer. What happens after he clicks someone remains a mystery. As a psychological thriller with a Sev7en like ending, Shutter has all the ingredients of a good thriller. Interestingly, the protagonist of the film, the photographer, is shown as the villain of the film is mischievous by nature. The antagonist of the film, the police officer of the film looks less-intelligent in the film. The conversation between them keeps you glued. The thrill is in the conversation. The nail-biting conversation is the essence of the film.
If you’re in search of a film in which you keep guessing about the ending then Shutter is the ideal film for you. Ideal for the lover of thriller genre film buffs, this film will keep you in a detective’s seat. After the end of the film, as an audience, you will guess about the ending. If you’re one of those who likes to see a perfect ending then this film is ideal for you. As a responsible audience, you need to understand the point that the director is trying to make in the short.
The director of the film is Jose Andres Ramirez Ortiz is a Mexican independent filmmaker known as Andres Ramirez. Through this film, he wanted to communicate with the audience to say that audiences can have their own versions of ending. He didn’t take the onus to end the short in his own way. The choice is in our hands. JT Harper played the Charley, the photographer. His cold-blooded nature gives chills to the bones. Justin Hernandez as Mark also good at showing his calmness even he looks perplexed while questioning Charley. The tiny part that Yhana Sibelle has in this short is quite impactful. The background music creates ripples in the audience’s mind while they search for the truth.
The story of Shutter is simple. Mark, an investigator, interrogates Charley, an ace photographer. While interrogating, Mark realizes that Charley is way ahead of him. The reason for the interrogation is that the models Charley photographs become untraceable after the shoot. As the interrogation process continues, Mark realizes that it’s really hard to break Charley. But Mark is determined to know the connection between the disappearances of young models and Charley’s photographing sessions. During the interrogation process, Mark looks bemused and Charley maintained his calm. However, it should be the opposite. The photography session helps to understand the mindset of Charley. First, he lures his models and keeps on clicking them. It seems he considers models as objects, not human beings. Initially, it may look that he has sexual desire for the models but finally, it reveals that he just wants to photograph them. The photographing process is interesting and the way the filmmaker uses the light makes the story goes forward. In the end, Mark fails to arrest Charley but when Charley arrives at the studio and looks at the photographer. The looking at the photograph suggests that all the models have turned into photographs and they can’t be bringing back to the world. 
However, this interpretation is challenging. The beauty of the short is that it can have multiple endings based on the audience’s interpretation.
If you’ve 10 minutes of time and looking for a thriller then Shutter is the best film for you. In Shutter, the conversation between Mark and Charley is the most fascinating part. It uncovers the different sides of both the characters. I would like to give 4 stars out of 5. The ever-increasing tension in the short is the tipping point of the film. People always like to see a villain who is powerful (here intelligent) than the hero (here the investigating officer). Shutter has all the ingredients of a villain who is fiercer, stronger, and intelligent than others.
