Keith
In most every children’s storybook there is a monster to be defeated, but sat in bed reading the adventures of Kilt the Pict before bedtime she didn’t expect to be visited by one, a deep voice heralded by the flickering of the lights which introduces itself as Keith, genial in his conversation but ominous just by his unnatural presence.
A very short film by writer and director Alex Baró Cayetano, the unseen titular monster of Keith is voiced by Bear Winter-Perreau while the unnamed and unassuming girl tucked up under her blankets is Mia Hemerling, less distressed than she should be, accustomed to noises at night, the muffled sounds of voices arguing elsewhere in the house, politely taking the opportunity to make a friend rather than defaulting to fear.
A work of imagination in keeping with the idea of a child left to their own devices at bedtime based on a story by David Maloney, Keith recalls young Amelia Pond and the crack in her bedroom wall beyond which lay the world of Prisoner Zero, but while the conversation quickly establishes an unexpected warmth between the two characters it offers little further.
Running to a fraction under three minutes including the brief credit roll, there is necessarily little which can be done in the time to develop the situation beyond that, instead establishing the premise then cutting to black just as it introduces the sinister suggestion that Keith is not the only visitor in the room; the mantra “always leave them wanting more” most certainly applies.
Keith is available on the Arrow platform now
