‘An Old Friend’ HollyShorts Review: An Ode to Magical Moments from One’s Childhood and their Lasting Impressions

We’ve all heard about a child’s imaginary friend ‘dying’ as they age out and grow self-aware. But what happens when the grown-up is on the verge of dying and the imaginary friend is left behind to pick up the pieces? The imaginative short “An Old Friend” by Director Nuk Suwanchote follows one such instance of a kind imaginary friend named Calvin (Jason Faunt) who receives a callback from his bedridden old pal William (Tom Skerritt). He now faces a challenge to salvage the elderly man’s nostalgic childhood memories/wishes or forge new ones from the remnants, thus affording the latter one final send-off.

However, according to the instruction manual for imaginary friends, the assigned child must first willingly ‘lead the imagination.’ But William is too weak due to the onset of dementia to spark any new memories himself or even speak up about his needs, and Calvin has been in retirement for many decades and initially isn’t even able to recollect his own name. Hence, the question arises: can the magical bond between both William and his imaginary friend be repaired once more in order to ensure a proper farewell?

A Warm and Cozy Short

The visuals, ambience, and tone of “An Old Friend,” exude warmth and cosiness along with oodles of whimsy. Its of rekindling prized friendships and relationships (imaginary or otherwise) are guaranteed to strike a chord with not only adult audiences and children alike but also the inner child within. Suwanchote’s nuanced direction also ensures that viewers connect and feel sympathetic towards the plight of the imaginary friend too—such as a scene of Calvin looking out the window at younger kids and their imaginary friends who are lucky enough to share the best years of their lives together. As his mind wanders to the past, Calvin can’t help but pity the current state of his aging friend. He reminisces about a time they’ve both lost forever, which was pushed to the back of a closet and collected dust up until this impromptu and short-lived reunion.

The casting of Jason Faunt as the playful Calvin is bound to unlock bonus nostalgia for every ’90s kid, since the actor is best remembered for his role as the Red Ranger from the “Power Rangers Timeforce” series. With his childlike wonder, charismatic and tender screen presence, Faunt further enlivens an already wholesome short. The uplifting background score too lends to an engaging viewing experience.

A Film that Stays with Us

Jason Faunt in a scene from “An Old Friend.” (Photo courtesy of HollyShorts Film Festival).

Suffice to say, “An Old Friend” is bound to stay with audiences after the credits roll, leaving tears of joy down one’s cheek. Its combination of the aforementioned elements—as well as the promise of a satisfying ending (that also reveals the true nature of this reunion)—are welcome, and Suwanchote and Faunt have created a good project here.

“An Old Friend” will be playing at this year’s HollyShorts Film Festival from August 8th-18th. Follow The Movie Buff for more coverage of this year’s festival.