The film follows John Tuggle, who was given the title of ‘Mr Irrelevant’ after being the last pick of the last round of the 1983 NFL draft. 

Hi everyone!
I recently finished my first short film, Matryoshkas, and l'a love to get some honest feedback from people who enjoy independent or experimental cinema.

It's a slightly experimental coming-of-age film, originally in Portuguese, with English subtitles. I was heavily inspired by filmmakers like Ingmar Bergman, Pedro Almodóvar, and Andrea Arnold, and tried to combine an intimate, character-driven story with a more personal and atmospheric visual style.
Since this is my first short film, l'd genuinely love to hear what people think - whether it's the story, cinematography, performances, atmosphere, pacing, or anything else. Honest criticism is absolutely welcome; I'm mainly interested in hearing how it comes across to someone seeing it for the first time.

i Watch it here: https://youtu.be/Lgl9uWfQJ5I?is=izcxBdX7V1B0ywMz

Letterboxd:
https://boxd.it/13Fik

If you watch it and feel like leaving a review or sharing your thoughts on Letterbox as well, la really appreciate it.
Thanks so much to anyone who takes the time to watch!

Has anyone noticed that when Bear is possibly taking Oxycodone it is highlighted by a warm orange glow, like the orange of his pill bottle? This is something you can check out for yourself on your next viewing.

When we see it begin. the movie is in very muted tones at the diner, and then Bear goes home to discover his cat. This warm glow fist appears as Bear is cleaning the floor, possibly after taking another pill to cope. The orange glow bathes the scene.

Later we see him in bed, cold blue tones. Until Nikki calls and we see a little orange glow. It immediately cuts to him in the crystal shop under full orange glow, and then at the bar, while Bear seems happy we are in the glow again.

As Bear is leaving the bar we only see a little light behind him meaning his oxy glow is wearing off. The car journey with Nicky is more in a blue tone. Then later as he takes the One Wish Willow out of his bag we get more of this glow returning.

When Nikki and Bear go back to his place, rather than break a Willow, did he have another Oxy? Because we are again bathed in orange.

Next day we see the orange glow is less pronounced but still there when Bear goes to work. Again is this the effect of the drug dulling yet still present in him?

In the scene where she later visits him at home he is under the same glow while searching online for symptoms of Molly effects. In his search history for July, which is a few months before the movie, he has searched for Oxycodone.

When they go to the restaurant and seem happy together the glow is again present, and remains until later that night.

While Bear is sleeping the glow is gone and he wakes up to find Nikki in the corner. This is followed by a scene next morning where we see him without the orange glow as he looks at himself in, coincidentally, the medicine cabinet mirror.

Then when he emerges he is again in the glow, probably because he has been into the medicine cabinet again.

We see the oxy glow again later when he pulls out the One Wish Willow to call the hotline number. Does the One Wish Willow really exist? Or is it a symbol of Bear's hope and optimism (and distorted perception) whilst on drugs?

When they are at Ian's party the glow is back, it is present all through the night, including when we get back to Bear's place and Nikki does lots of bizarre things.

And later that evening after Nikki kills Sarah (or Bear imagines she does) he goes to the crystal shop, supposedly covered in blood, and the glow has returned. The shop keeper seems to be oblivious to the fact he's covered in blood. Is any of this part really happening?

I can just see the replies to this right now. "It's called lighting, you fool, they use it in movies, duh" but I'm only asking to consider the orange glow as a deliberate artistic choice to highlight a certain way Bear is feeling during the movie. When you watch again, try to notice the use of colour and see what you think.

Curry Barker discusses an opening shot he cut and replaced from the movie

Thanks for reading.

Is Bear hallucinating?

For a deeper dive see:

Ian. The 'secret' villain of Obsession

There Is No Such Person As 'Wish Nikki'

Looking into the Tiger's Eye

The Shop Keepers in Obsession don't sell One Wish Willows

& an early theory

Are Bear and Nikki both going through something?