SUSPENSE, DRAMA

At the trial of a Spanish-speaking man who entered the US illegally, a translator is invited to talk about the polygraph machine used in the case that ultimately found the defendant guilty. However, no one expected that the lawyer in the case would discover that the translator was the victim’s ex-girlfriend and that she mistranslated the polygraph questions and answers to incriminate the boy.

GOOD

THIRD PERSON

Authors Writing Style: GOOD

Characterization: FAIR

Commerciality: FAIR

Franchise Potential: FAIR

Pace: GOOD

Premise: GOOD

Structure: GOOD

Theme: FAIR

It is accurate.

This judgmental atmosphere, where we don't know how things are going, arouses our curiosity to know if the defendant is guilty or innocent.

No, everything happens at a constant pace, and the information is unfolding in an efficient and interesting way.

THE STORY DOES NOT RELY ON SPECIAL EFFECTS

The initial hook is to try to find out whether or not this man is guilty. After we discover information about the translator, the hook is the plot twist itself, which is quite interesting and changes the entire course of the trial.

The author knows how to create an atmosphere of discovery throughout the narrative, but I don’t believe that, given the small amount of content delivered, it has the potential to reach a very large audience.

The story has potential, and the author’s style of gradually presenting the information is very good, so it would have chances to win awards in short film categories.

LOW BUDGET

UNDER SUSPICION: AFTER A JUDGE COMMITS SUICIDE AND HIS SECRETARY TURNS UP DEAD, A PUBLIC DEFENDER BEGINS TO SUSPECT THAT THE DEFENDANT IS NOT, IN FACT, THE REAL CULPRIT.

Having the police translator hired by the police as the real culprit in a case is original.

There’s not enough time to get to know too much about the characters or delve too deeply into their personalities, but Rogers, the public defender of the case, presents an insight that matches his findings in the case, and ends up making him an even more thought-provoking character.

It’s not a rare gem because the story isn’t original enough to stand out among so many others, but it has thought-provoking elements to attract attention.

Film: Indie

CONSIDER

It is a story to be considered to become a short film or the first minutes of a feature or a series, in a flashback or a cold open. The narrative is short, concise, and very effective. Right away, we are caught by the interesting atmosphere of the trial. The defendant, a Hispanic-speaking man who entered the US illegally and who barely speaks a few words in English, already gives us some clue that something is wrong and that he may be being used as a false culprit in place of the real criminal. However, as much as we already have a feeling that he is not to blame, the plot twist that comes is quite original and satisfying to the story. It is believable enough to make us accept this resolution and original enough to surprise us. The characters don’t have time to be further developed, but they effectively serve what is being proposed there. The narrative brings a growing tension, in which information is constantly being delivered, giving us more and more clues as to what is actually happening, at the same time that instigates our curiosity and makes us want to keep watching.