Ninety Seconds
Directed by Gerard Lough
Written by Gerard Lough
Starring Andrew Norry, Michael Parle, Claire J. Blennerhassett
Arcadia Films
Release date: August 9, 2012 (limited)

The first thing we see in George Lough‘s latest thrilling cyberpunk short film, Ninety Seconds (watch the trailer below the article), is this quote: “The instrument could be dimmed, but there was no way of shutting it off completely.” The quote is from George Orwell’s book 1984, which taught us how “Big Brother is watching you” via two-way screens everywhere.

So, we have an idea of the uncomfortable places Ninety Seconds may take us. We’re instantly intrigued by its darkness shot through with cool music, nifty graphics, and well-placed blindingly bright lights. Set in the not-so-distant future just after a very real-life scandal involving celebrity phones being hacked by unscrupulous (the film uses the word “˜desperate’) journalists, the film’s premise is that this scandal gives birth to a whole new breed of private investigators called Techs.