User Reviews

This is "Caroline", an American live action short film in the English language that runs for a bit over 10 minutes and was written and directed by Logan George and Celine Held. The latter is also a prolific actress playing a crucial character in this little tale, but not the one the film is named after because Caroline is a girl sitting in a car during hot weather when her mother is away for a while and left her and her younger siblings there. The situation is witnessed by other people outside who come to help the children in the car. This is a little film about people making unlucky decisions, but also about chance and circumstance adding to these events and making things worse. I think it was an okay little film with some interesting tension, not a perfect film, for example on one or two occasions I felt Caroline was acting too much like a grown-up the way she was written, but it was nothing bad or deal-breaking when it comes to the movie's quality. Still I cannot deny that I am a bit surprised how well the reception for this film has been until now with all the awards recognition and also how it did not only make the Oscars shortlist, but is even considered a frontrunner for the win by some at this point. That good it is not in my opinion. Butt decide for yourself and go see it. I certainly give this little film a thumbs-up. It's a story right out of the life and feels very authentic.

The camera zeros in the salty sweat dripping down from the hot childrens faces after spending the day in and out of a hot Texas car. Throughout the film my mind went through a variety of emotions: confused, chaotic, stressed, and anxious. The single, stressed, mother of 3 is struggling to provide enough of a healthy lifestyle for her children. She runs around town frantically to the babysitters to find out she isn't home, then to the store because her son had to go to the bathroom, then ending at a job interview still with her 3 children. She obviously cares for her children, but it is clear she lays a lot of responsibility onto her 6 year old daughter Caroline. Which makes Caroline feel she has a lot of duties when it comes to her younger siblings, that she should not necessarily have because she is only 6 and is still a child. There are a lot of roadblocks that show up for the mother, for example, she has to leave her kids in the car while she goes to her interview, but she can't leave the car running because that uses a lot of gas which costs a lot of money, and when your a single mother of 3 kids, money like that is hard to come by. She proceeds to show Caroline how to turn on the car, but Caroline being 6 couldn't figure it out and started to overheat, she would tell her siblings about their favourite TV show to calm them down. While the kids are stuck in the sauna-like car, the camera never gives you a clear calm shot of all the children, it is full of tension and anxiety.

After watching the film and talking to others about it, most people thought that when the lady got into the car with the kids, that she was going to kidnap them. But in my mind, my first thought about it was she's going to get the keys and turn on the AC for them. Personally at first I didn't like how the director ended the film abruptly because I wanted to know what happened after Caroline bit the lady who was helping her moments before but was protecting her mother anyways, if the cops ever got involved, if the mother was going to lose her children, if she even got the job after that big fiasco in the parking lot. But as I watched it more it grew on me, in the way that the intention was to make the audience feel that cliffhanger and keep them hooked, give them that sense of wonder and suspense.

There is no other way to describe "Caroline" other than stressful. The entire time I was watching I was expecting disaster. The in-vehicle camera angles and eerie silence of the car keeps you on the edge of your seat and instils a tremendous amount of worry. Logan George and Celine Held achieved their clear intentions when creating this film by describing every mother's worst nightmare through thematic elements that would make a Buddhist monk lose his cool.

An aspect of this film that I found interesting was the fact that in the end, it is impossible to pick a side! There were serious mistakes made on both sides of the conflict, and the directors did a very good job at leaving the audience split and uneasy. There was also a great juxtaposition created between the car and the outside world. When the children are alone in the car, there is complete silence other than the chatter from the kids. Whenever the mother is on screen the scene gets more chaotic. This is illustrated perfectly through the barking of the dog and the sound of a stick hitting the chain link fence at the very start of the film. This background noise was designed to inspire a sense of stress in the audience and highlight the turbulent nature of a single mother wrangling her kids. As for symbolism in this piece, the clearest example is Caroline's tooth. The tooth falling out after she bit the lady in the parking lot represents a loss of innocence and a literal taste of the real world. The point of this powerful symbolism was to bring attention to how kids are brought into tough situations and exposed to the harshness of the world before they are ready.

One criticism I would have about this piece is how the people trying to help Caroline and company in the car were painted as villains. Because this film was primarily brought to us from the perspective of Caroline, I found myself feeling sorry for her even though she left her children in the world's most uncomfortable sauna for thirty minutes. This entire movie was gripping and stressful and although I enjoyed it the first time, I would not want to watch it again in fear of having a panic attack.

I found myself getting very anxious about what was going to happen next. Were the strangers about to help the children or were they kidnappers? Were the police going to show up? This was the most riveting twelve minutes I think I've ever seen. Very well done!

"Caroline" is a gripping and well-articulated piece that depicts the harsh reality of being forced to grow up at a young age. This film is centered around a mother and her three children on a hot summer day. The events that take place are shown through the perspective of the oldest daughter, Caroline. As the film starts, the mother seems very frantic, and the audience soon finds out that she has an important job interview to go to. The mother is unable to find anybody who can watch her three children, so she is forced to leave them in the car despite the heat. The fact that this mom chooses to leave her kids in the car in such weather conditions, shows the audience that she has no choice, she needs this job interview more than she wants it. It highlights the struggles that she may be facing in her personal life. Throughout the movie, focus is brought back on to Caroline's loose tooth occasionally. The mom leaves Caroline with the car keys in case it gets too hot, and they need to turn on the air conditioning.

As the film progresses Caroline tries her best to distract her little brother and sister, reinforcing this role she has of being the big sister, taking on responsibility she shouldn't have to at her age. Seeing three young children locked in a car in the scorching heat, would be an alarming sight for anybody. This is proven true when multiple concerned people later approach Caroline and call the police. A lady begins to speak to Caroline politely but when the mom returns, the same woman is very hostile towards her. Nobody present considered that there may be more to the story and this may not be a case of negligence but simply a mother who is just struggling and trying her best. More and more people gather around the car and surround the family, trying to prevent the mother from leaving and even going as far to tackle her to the ground to try and restrain her. This scene brings forth the idea that these people may not care about the well-being of the kids as much they're trying to appear to. To them, Caroline's mother is the villain in the scenario, they have their minds made up, failing to see that the mother is the only one who is trying to get her kids out of the situation and prevent them from seeing something happen. These strangers don't care about the children because if they did, they wouldn't make them watch such a scene, all they want is the mother to be taken away. Caroline seeing her mother in this situation, runs to help her and bites the woman on top of her mother, as a result her loose bloodied tooth falls out in her hand. The camera focuses on this shot for a while before abruptly ending the film, leaving the audience with an unfinished scene and mixed feelings.

The symbolism of the tooth is quite significant. In our childhood, baby teeth symbolize innocence and losing them is a sign of growing up. Caroline's tooth is loose throughout this film, until she sees this traumatic scene with her mother being tackled. Seeing such a sight, Caroline is forced to grow up, she loses her tooth in pursuit of helping her mother from being taken away from her. The tooth being lost at the end of the film symbolizes the innocence and childhood that Caroline lost that day, she was forced to grow up by being put in a position no child should be put in. The directors of this short film, Celine Held and Logan George, were inspired by multiple news stories to make this short film. All the actors have remarkably lived up to the film's theme with their impressively unforgettable performances. This short film evokes a strong emotional response from viewers by humanizing a situation that many mothers face and that society overlooks by making assumptions and sticking with them. People failing to recognize that not all is black and white and that how something looks isn't always how it is.

Under the gaze of the strange man in the store, a sense of dread is cast onto both Caroline and the audience. This singular wide shot makes viewers prepare for the worst.

Especially when plans fall through with no other options available, and the responsibility of an older sister falls onto young Caroline's shoulders as her mother leaves the kids alone in the car for a job interview. Unfortunately for the six-year-old, Texas is known for its smoldering heat and the car's AC just won't turn on.

Co-directed by Logan George and Céline Held, it is clear to see the amount of care they put into this film. From moving in with the three siblings before filming to establish a close relationship, to realistically emulating intense heat without causing harm to the kids by using a spray bottle. All of these actions enhanced the performance and made you feel like you were right there with Caroline as the events unfolded.

Though the cinematography and storyline of the short film are spectacular in itself, I would say its greatest strength lies in the use of sound. It isn't noticeable at first but upon multiple watches, the lack of sound in some scenes becomes overwhelmingly noticeable. Personally, I think the most impactful usage of sound is when you compare how loud it is outside of the car compared to the very serene stillness that is present inside the car. Though it may be a stretch, I believe that this can represent the contrast that exists between the cruel outside world and the comfort of a home. It emphasizes the situation they are in and brings in an element of social commentary to the film. The mother did make a very bad mistake with her actions but that doesn't discount the fact that she felt that it was the only choice she had left. Those she was supposed to depend on have failed her. Babysitter bailed on her, daycare is expensive, she can't pass up a job opportunity that she clearly needs, and she can't bring her kids into the interview or else she'd blow it. All of these institutions and people (society) who are meant to protect her (the vulnerable) are driving her into a corner where she believed that leaving her kids in a car was the only way.

A criticism I had during the first round of watching was why the mother didn't just turn on the AC and keep it running the entire time from the get-go. However, I came to realize that this only further highlights the social commentary that they were intending. Not everyone has the means to keep a car running idle. Especially with the chance that the battery could die or that gas is expensive where they live. It comes to show that in our society, money runs the world. We will continue to worry and prioritize it, sometimes even over people we care about.

But really, bravo to the audio technician! Without them, I would not have thought about these points.

I have no complaints about the film overall but I will not lie and say that the ending was satisfying. I felt very lost and empty afterward. Surely, this ending was an artistic choice, but for those that may only get the chance to watch the film once at a film festival, it may feel lackluster and leave too many loose ends.

Regardless, the film is beautiful, complex, and evokes the most intense of emotions. It was excellently filmed and the child actors were some of the best that I've seen! Watching Caroline was so impactful for me since it gives valuable insight into the difficulties of being a single mother, and how the system fails those who are most vulnerable. 10/10 would recommend for those who want an emotional rollercoaster with a side of social commentary.

It's a scorching hot day in Texas and a single mother of three finds herself in a desperate situation and is forced to make a split decision that has potential life-threatening consequences.

The young mom is forced to leave them in the car when she can't find a babysitter and it is super hot outside. The main character, 6-year-old Caroline is left in charge of running the air conditioning - with just a quick lesson of how to turn the car on from her mom.

The short film "Caroline" by Celine Held & Logan George shows the struggles with real-life situations of single moms without support and why sometimes kids are left alone in hot cars.

This film is very emotional and you find yourself anxious about what might happen when Caroline can't get the car started for the air conditioning, then relieved when a lady from the parking lot comes to help her. Then you are nervous again because strangers have called the police not knowing that the mom loves her kids and was put in a very tough situation and would never intentionally hurt her kids, and then upset and angry when a big fight breaks out and then relieved again when the film ends and the police never did show up.

The film uses many techniques and special effects to portray a very frantic situation. The mom's hair is all messed up and she is very frazzled, rushed and running as fast as she can to try and do everything so she will be on time for her interview. You can tell this mom is exhausted and has run out of options. By putting lipstick on Caroline you know that the mom is trying to tell Caroline she is grown up enough to watch her siblings especially when she shows Caroline how to turn the car on to run the air conditioning.

I would recommend this film to all adults especially those that are parents so they realize that not all situations are what they seem. Everyone always assumes neglect when they hear about kids being left in hot cars, but in reality there is no neglect, just panic situations that result in bad decisions.

When plans fail one after another, a struggling mother has no choice but to leave responsibility to her six year old on a hot Texas summer. We are brought into the film through a third person perspective, where a loving mother's plans to have someone watch over her kids are unachievable, and has no choice but to leave her six year old in charge of the AC in a public parking lot in the scorching summer of Texas. With the use of sound and pacing, Logan George wreaks anxiety and stress onto the audience to resonate with the main character, Caroline. While maintaining a presence of anxiety and havoc, Caroline explores the sudden transition from innocence to experience while using the conflicts of adulthood to create tension. With Caroline being a short film, I would compare it with films such as The Lion King as a longer movie with a similar theme of childhood trauma.

Filmed in Texas, the noises of a baby's cry sets an uncomfortable and anxious tone. We start off right at the scene of the drama and as soon as we start to watch, we already feel an established sense of stress in the air. By hearing the atmosphere from inside of the car and keeping the camera right beside the main character, we are brought closer to her thoughts and feelings. And we start to feel the stress that Caroline is feeling. Without a narrator we rely on the words of the characters to pick up on the emotions set.

Although the plot and pacing might have been too fast, resulting in us not absorbing what was happening, it contributed to ensuring a sense of stress into the audience. I would recommend this short film to anyone who likes stories about development and responsibility, as the main character in the film was introduced to both by the end.