Roe Moore’s WALKIES is a quietly highly effective brief movie that explores the load of psychological well being struggles by way of an sudden lens: a robotic canine named Luno. In only a temporary runtime, Moore crafts a story that feels each intimately human and subtly futuristic.
The movie facilities on Esther, portrayed with uncooked vulnerability by Mariana Aroxa, whose efficiency anchors the story. Esther’s world is one in all muted colours and repetitive routines, a visible and emotional reflection of her battle with anxiousness and despair. Moore’s course, avoids heavy-handedness, as an alternative letting Esther’s isolation unfold by way of understated moments—like the best way she watches others from a distance, craving for connection but paralyzed by her interior turmoil.
Enter Luno, a robotic canine (performed by Jennie, a real-life creation from TomBot) that turns into Esther’s unlikely companion. The selection of a robotic pet is a stroke of brilliance, mixing science fiction with grounded emotion. Luno isn’t only a gimmick; it’s an emblem of accessible, non-judgmental help, providing Esther a motive to step exterior her fog. What units WALKIES aside is its refusal to supply straightforward solutions. When Esther encounters one other robotic canine proprietor, their shared second of understanding feels genuine moderately than contrived, a testomony to Moore’s potential to seek out hope in small, human connections. The movie doesn’t shrink back from the truth that therapeutic is neither linear nor full, but it surely celebrates the braveness of taking that first step.
With its mix of emotional depth, modern visuals, and a heartfelt message about psychological well being, WALKIES is a testomony to Roe Moore’s talent as a filmmaker who can steadiness tenderness with technical precision. It’s a brief movie that feels expansive, reminding us that even the smallest companions—robotic or in any other case—can mild the best way towards therapeutic.
- Electronic mail: neill@outloudculture.com
