The Fly by Olly Williams

The Fly is a short film that is regarded as a dark comedy. It was released in 2014 and was well received among viewers. What caught my eye in The Fly was the lack of dialogue and therefore there was a reliance from the protagonist, played by Jack Doolan, on body language and facial expression to tell the story. 

When I first watched The Fly it reminded me of a slapstick comedy that could even have passed as a silent film. The damage the getaway driver clumsily inflicts on himself is garishly predictable but in my opinion this does not take away from the enjoyment of the short film overall. This is because Jack Doolan delivers in his entirely physical performance, capturing the character of a goon without any brains while somehow making the story seem somewhat relatable to the audience.

It is surprising how much information is conveyed without a single word of dialogue from the lead character. In my opinion he captures the role of a gruff, angry getaway driver perfectly in such a short length of time with nervous shuffles highlighting his anxiety towards the job and his pouting expression. This complements his child-like tantrums where he lashes out at the steering wheel and mirror.

To summarise, I think the physical performance from Jack Doolan is the main reason that The Fly was a big success due to the cartoon like comedy he employs in his performance.