Indy Shorts Film Festival: ‘The Out’ Tackles the Struggle to Stay Clean Along with the Pressures of Fatherhood

There have been countless films about addiction, and we sometimes wrongfully classify them as similar. Every journey to stay clean is a singular one, and The Out centers on a young man walking that tightrope to remain sober. Harry Brandrick’s film is made with tremendous patience and optimism for its lead character.

The Out begins with a tense and nervous interaction between Liam (Allan Mustafa) and Jade (Kimberley Okoye), a former couple who now share custody of young Sofia. Brandrick’s direction allows us to think that they are simply a couple who separated, but before she drops Sofia off, Jade tells Liam, “don’t fuck this up.” Liam is a recovering heroin addict, and this is the first time that Jade is trusting him to look after their child for an extended period.

Since Liam isn’t around Sofia all the time, there is some inherent awkwardness and jitters around being alone together, but things take a more serious turn when a friend of Liam’s randomly shows up. You can tell that this friend may have an ulterior motive or be desperate in his own way, and that interaction takes the film in a more serious direction. Addicts never fully lose their triggers, but it doesn’t help to have those feelings intensified by outside circumstances. Brandrick really shows us how the world of an recovering addict is tested moment by moment, second by second.

Mustafa holds the film together with his performance. It’s almost as if we can hear his heart beating or hear time ticking through his brain. He is a strong presence on screen, and we instinctively want his Liam to do right by his child. This is not an easy road, so Mustafa granting us permission to take these emotional steps with his character is a real gift for the audience. What a commanding presence.

The Out holds our attention, but we leave it wanting its characters to continue on a safe path. Addiction doesn’t just harm the addict, but it reverberates throughout the lives of those around us. Liam must succeed for the sake of Sofia–his daughter is watching him whether she fully understands or not.

The Out plays as part of the Indy Shorts International Film Festival. The festival runs July 19-24, and tickets will be available in-person and virtually.