The world’s fate is in the hands of Dale Borger, an isolated, clumsy research scientist alone in the arctic. This is… Hell in a Handbasket

Lee Chambers takes isolation and the nature of being alone to a whole new level in his 2021 short film Hell in a Handbasket. Chambers is able to create a completely unique, story-rich justification for our lead character’s isolation, and that’s immensely refreshing! 

The most beautiful part of Hell in a Handbasket is certainly its original, immersive tone. The tone of this film, established in both writing and directing by Lee Chambers, is comedic in nature, but thriller in plot. This combination is bold and an absolute pleasure to watch as a viewer!

The experience and story of this film is brought to life through the unique, lovely writing, of course. But with that, it was brought to the next level through the perfect performance of the two stars. Separated by distance, in talking in their own form of “a zoom call” – Hoyt Richards and Robert Bryn Mann are able to establish a contrasting, engaging dynamic that brings both characters to life and progresses the story along outstandingly well.

The idea of the fate of the global pandemic falling into the hands of clumsy Dale is such a refreshing take on this type of story. It’s high stakes with an armor of comedy, and this is a wonderful way to execute it. 

The film does a super effective job of utilizing minimal locations too. Of course, the idea is that Dale is isolated in the arctic, and these filmmakers were brave enough to show the outside as well as inside! Fortunately, it looked great! Both sets were completely believable and immediately build your trust and intrigue as viewer. The cool color and visual hecticness is well-used in making a “small” reality feel large in scope narratively.

The score and cinematography are another element that work hand-in-hand to build this story up and establish its tone. That’s where the sci-fi starts to come in on the hypothetical high-stakes, Covid chaos. It effectively keeps the tension alive and building.

All-in-all, Lee Chambers does a wonderful job making sure every second counts in Hell in a Handbasket. This film is a breath of fresh air in terms of pandemic content and in terms of the thriller genre. It manages to implement comedy strategically and effectively, leading to a well-structured and overall lovely film, made even stronger by wonderful performances by Hoyt Richards and Robert Bryn Mann.