We Always Find Ourselves in the Sea (2017)

We Always Find Ourselves in the Sea is an atmospheric ghost story driven by its cinematography just as much as its characters.

The story is of an estranged father and daughter, separated by a divorce. The father has fallen apart and really needs someone to pull him out of the dark.

Throughout the film, color is used very selectively. Almost everything is drab, dull tones, except for the stunning red which surrounds Nina, the daughter.

After Christmas Dinner, Nina and Patrick, the father, go have a talk. She tells her father of a memory, one he claims not to remember, before she disappears.

The story hadn't been exactly happy, and shortly after, a woman in a mask begins to follow Patrick around. He attempts to drink away the memory, but that only induces a nightmare.

The nightmare turns dangerous, and the next day, the site manager finds Patrick strangled by seaweed.

This film is fantastic as a short. We don't know how or why Nina died, but we do know that she did not have a happy life with Patrick. It's implied that he drank to the point of forgetfulness and had more than your average temper. We know that Nina was seeking revenge.

In the end, the details of Nina's life after Patrick and even her death don't matter. Heck, her life before her parents split probably doesn't matter to the story much.

Without the uncessceary fluff, the filmmaker can spend more screen time on breathtaking cinematic shots, showing a world devoid of color, except for the color that surrounds Nina's coming and going. Every interaction between Nina and Patrick is also incredibly important to figuring out anything about either of them, especially with how few lines of dialogue fill the film.