Stranded – Film Review

You can tick all the boxes, a good education, maybe even a fancy degree, get yourself a successful career – and still feel like something’s just… off. Like you’re going through the motions. You start wondering what went wrong, or if you took a wrong turn somewhere, only to realize you’ve been looking for satisfaction in all the wrong places. That gnawing feeling that something’s missing, that you’re just sort of stuck. “Stranded” is the perfect word for this feeling.

I just watched this short film, “Stranded,” and man, it got me thinking. It’s by a first-time director, Luca Floris, and it really hits on that feeling. Floris has an interesting backstory himself: from Rio de Janeiro he grew up surfing and playing soccer, then heads off to the University of Chicago for a Physics degree. Next he lands a job in finance in New York. Then, in 2023, he decides to pack all that up to chase his passion for filmmaking. Takes some major testicular fortitude if you ask me.

He says “Stranded” came right out of his own experiences. The movie’s about this investment banker who’s frustrated and losing his hair. But then he starts using those fallen hairs to make abstract art on his shower wall. What starts as a small, quirky thing turns into this ritual, a way for him to find some purpose and figure out he’s actually an artist at heart. It’s pretty clear Floris, who not only wrote and directed but also produced and starred in the film, poured his own life experiences into this film. He talks about grappling with his own hair loss and feeling a bit lost himself before finding clarity through making movies. He really wanted “Stranded” to be about finding your own path and what it means to be authentic.

And you know what? For a short film, just over nine minutes, it really lands. It’s simple, but it’s one of those stories that just clicks because it’s so relatable. I think a lot of us have been there – that daily grind, same old routine, day in and day out, until these little annoyances start to feel like big deals. But this film shows it’s all about how you look at things, how you can turn something negative into a positive. I loved how Floris managed to take these kind of eccentric, everyday moments and make them feel profound, like a real turning point. He really packed a valuable life lesson into a short amount of time, something that kicks self-doubt to the curb and makes you think about making a change.

Luca Floris was born to tell stories. To take something so personal from your own life and turn it into art that others can connect with – that’s not easy, but he pulled it off. You can tell he had a small but solid group working with him; José Eduardo Lins handled producing duties alongside Floris and also edited the film, while Alex Lawson, as Director of Photography, did a fine job making capturing the emotions visually.

I think it’s cool that Floris is sharing something so personal. This story could genuinely resonate with a lot of people who are feeling stuck in the same kind of rut, people who just need a little nudge or to see that it’s possible to find your way forward. The road might not be easy, but the film leaves you feeling not “Stranded” anymore.

Kudos to Luca Floris and his crew for this successful first film. I’ve got a feeling we’re going to be seeing a lot more from this talented filmmaker. He’s definitely one to watch.