Selah (2026)

Lara Everly's powerful short pulls the rug from under you with unexpected force.

Selah tells the tale of a teenage girl who embarks on a solo road trip from Texas to California to deliver a designer puppy for cash, a journey that becomes increasingly complex as it unfolds into something far deeper.

Birdie Silverstein takes the titular role in what is a hugely confident performance, one that completely engages you in the trials and tribulations of being a young woman gaining independence over the course of a few short days. Despite her mother's protestations, Selah takes matters into her own hands to earn $1000, yet the lengths she eventually goes to in order to transport this dog make one question her judgment. Of course, she's a stubborn teenager who goes against her mother in a seeming bid for some freedom, but throughout Everly's film, there's something constantly lurking at the edges that you can't quite put your finger on.

Despite the playful score that hints at a comedic road movie, there's a sense of foreboding lurking. Selah stops in a cornfield to let the dog out to relieve himself and loses him in the crops before checking into a motel just hours later, allowing elements of horror to seep in. But this is a film that teases its secrets and wraps itself rather brilliantly in something that resembles a teen road comedy, yet never shirks from being direct about the struggles of girlhood.

Indeed, when Selah shouts, "It shouldn't be this fucking hard!" it's impossible not to sympathise. Beneath her bold exterior, she is clearly grappling with fear and vulnerability as her trip descends into chaos, whether it's the dog preventing her from sleeping or eating chocolate and forcing a trip to the vets, and we're constantly asking ourselves why. Why is she putting herself through this?

The answer to this is Everly's trump card, and she plays it magnificently. It's rare to find a piece of work that's engrossing for its duration without you ever fully understanding why until the very end, yet Selah is one of those scarce beasts. A film whose central character infuriates as much as she intrigues, and one that leaves you questioning your assumptions right up until the final act. ☆☆☆☆ 7.8/10