Plenty of art is derived from the artist’s personal experiences. And even a life-threatening accident can be made into a something surprisingly fun.
This is what happens with the action-horror short “Kickstart My Heart” by Kelsey Bollig. It is now streaming on Alter’s YouTube channel, with a more complete cut on Short of the Week’s channel, and you can also watch it at the end of this article. It might inspire you to get a script ready for the next Killer Shorts Horror Short Screenplay Competition.
The Plot
At the very beginning of the short, a jogger is hit by a car. When she seemingly wakes up, a deceased child from her past tells her that she is actually trapped inside of her own mind. Now she must fight off demons inside of her own subconscious if she wants to stay alive.
Personal Demons
This is based on an actual accident, as we can see with the footage of the aftermath that plays over the credits. Unfortunately, Alter, the YouTube channel where I first saw this, has shrunk this footage down and sped it up to make room for an ad for Alter’s merchandise. Which is particularly bad, because it feels like a major part of the experience of watching it. The video down below is of another upload of this short that plays the full unedited footage.
Presumably, this accident happened to Kelsey Bollig herself. She was hit by a car, and spent time recovering in the hospital. And she has drawn upon that experience to create something personal. And it’s dedicated to two deceased people who “helped [her] find the light.”
But she didn’t let the trauma turn it into something completely somber. As one might expect from a film that shares its title with a Motley Crue song, this is a lot more fun and energetic than that. The journey back to life is full of intense action often set to rock music. The well-choreographed fight scenes allow for this to be as much of an action movie as it is a horror movie.
But, of course, it also pulls off the level of emotion that this concept requires. The finals scene is sad and moving, and it serves as a perfect transition between the John Wick-style fights and the tenderness of the recovery footage. It opens with a quote about death that creates a somber vibe which hangs over this short, along with the subject matter, despite all of the action and intensity.
In Conclusion
“Kickstart My Heart” is a perfect example of a personal film. A tender short about the artist’s real life struggles and loss, that just happens to have zombies and fight scenes. It’s a roller coaster of emotions.
Watch it below.
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