SFotD: ‘Goodbye Shanghai’ Embezzles Intrigue

By  · Published on October 9th, 2012

Why Watch? With the neon burnt streets of China as its playground, this short from Adam Christian Clark takes two bankers into the partying heart of darkness. The elder statesman suggests the pair celebrate their swiping of $15m with a night out on the town; the first-timer goes reluctantly with a rocks glass in hand.

This short is a rare case of instant atmosphere. It wastes no time getting to the gist, turning a jumble of numbers in a bank merging into a magic act that doesn’t need to be revealed. Each character is introduced with raw ceremony, painting them quickly and putting them into the maze of the plot. In other words, it’s tight. It’s also shot with a beautifully wandering eye and brought to life by a steady cast.

What will it cost you? Only 13 minutes.

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Movie stuff at VanityFair, Thrillist, IndieWire, Film School Rejects, and The Broken Projector Podcast@brokenprojector | Writing short stories at Adventitious.