The transition from digital success to the rigorous environment of prestige filmmaking is often fraught with scepticism. Yet, Jack Howard, long known for his highly-trafficked online comedy work, has executed this pivot with quiet, considerable assurance in The Second Time Around. Currently streaming on Channel 4 online, this 12-minute short is not a blockbuster declaration, but a compelling, contained mystery that has already secured its status as an Oscar contender via a HollyShorts Best Sci-Fi win and an Iris Prize shortlist.
Grounded Mystery in a Greasy Spoon
The film operates within the shadowed, closed-off interior of a greasy spoon after hours. It is here that Caroline Goodall (Schindler’s List, Hook) and rising talent Hannah Onslow (Empire of Light) deliver superb performances in this intimate little mystery. The casting itself signals the project’s ambition; bringing in veterans of this calibre validates the seriousness of Howard’s dramatic shift.
Howard’s direction treats every aspect of the 12-minute short with loving care. His attention to lighting alone would shame many a feature production gracing modern cinemas. There’s no arts framing or distracting cuts, just good quality storytelling told through a lens to an audience here there and everywhere.
It successfully creates the satisfaction of a good short story, unconcerned with explaining itself, and only interested in the two women as they reveal themselves to each other through word and small acts of kindness. The central fable regarding love, loss, and the choices between comes into clear focus quite early, asking the question of what precisely is happening within this mundane setting, and where our time with these compelling individuals will end. The core of the film explores grief and maternal love through a narrative framework that keeps its feet firmly on the ground while posing questions that are anything but ordinary.
“Howard’s direction treats every aspect of the 12-minute short with loving care. The attention to lighting would shame many a feature production gracing modern cinemas.”
The Power of Performance
The two actors convey as much with their faces as their words, and in the waitress’s case, she has little say, and much more to feel. This comes across loud, clear, and not even a little overdone. It’s impressive stuff and a testament to good acting and a director who knows how to get the best from his people.
In the end, it’s a film with a clear meaning, but a nicely opaque narrative which is nonetheless entire satisfactory and doesn’t leave the often frustrating ‘what was that about?’ taste in your mouth.
Beyond that, one can’t say much, because knowing much about The Second Time Around before seeing it is to spoil it, and its most elegantly tidy (perhaps a little too tidy?) mystery. What the film does highlight, however, is Howard as a talented filmmaker with a fine hand in both visual and narrative structure. It’s a sophisticated step forward, grounding profound themes in sincere human emotion, and it serves as clear notice that this director’s next project will be one to watch.
All Images: Scenes from The Second Time Around – Dir – Jack Howard
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