Solid idea but delivery is not particularly good

Although we find ourselves in a High School election, it is still politics and those involved are just as driven as those at the top. The day of the election has arrived and the favourites are Michael and Leah, with Michael's former running mate now on his own ticket and seeking to trump his former partner. The day begins with a shock for Michael as Leah tells him she is pregnant – a fact that will be hard enough to deal with, but becomes even harder when they get a note from someone threatening to expose them if they don't drop out of the race. 

There is a nice idea here because it plays on the dirty and twisty nature of politics but sets it in the world of the high school and, although a bit obvious after a certain point, it does have a decent enough conclusion too. However, although the core concept is good the actual film falls short of what it could have been for several reasons. The world of the high school didn't convince me – I guess part of this is that I am not American and a long time out of education so don't know the score, but it didn't feel like a high school to me – more like big politics aspirations dropped into the setting, which meant it didn't really fit too well. The bigger issue though was the general delivery. The script is not as snappy as it needed to be and it takes too long and is too obvious to really grip – although it is only short, you will be at the ending about 4 minutes before the film itself is. There is a bigger problem though – the acting.

It is the acting where the film falls down the hardest and this feeds into everything else. The performances are clunky and unnatural, making even good lines less effective and also breaking the film in terms of being able to hold the viewer in this world (a world I was already struggling to buy into). It is a shame but Jacinto, Sakowitz, Stathos and others were all very basic in their turns. Technically it is OK in the way it is put together but nothing particularly special – although the sound quality was not particularly good. It is a film with a solid enough idea at the core but the delivery is pretty weak meaning the story doesn't engage as it should and the world and characters don't convince – and none of this is helped by the generally poor performances across the cast

The drama genre is a broad category that features stories portraying human experiences, emotions, conflicts, and relationships in a realistic and emotionally impactful way. Dramas delve into the complexities of human life, often exploring themes of love, loss, morality, societal issues, personal growth, with the aim to evoke an emotional response from the audience by presenting relatable and thought-provoking stories.

Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)

The short form refers to creative works characterized by their brevity and concise storytelling. Unlike full-length feature films, short films have a running time of less than 45 minutes, while TV shorts have a running time of less than 22 minutes.

Benedict Cumberbatch in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)

The thriller genre features suspense, tension, and excitement. These stories are known for keeping audiences on the edge of their seats and delivering intense emotional experiences by revolving around high-stakes situations, dangerous conflicts, and the constant anticipation of unexpected events.

On the day of the election for senior class president at Lyndon Johnson High School, popular candidate and charming socialite Michael Fabrizio discovers that Leah Riteman, Michael's girlfriend and vice presidential running mate...is pregnant. What's more, they're being blackmailed by one of their rivals and Michael's former best friend, Kevin Stone- if Michael doesn't drop out of the race, Kevin will tell the school about the baby. Election Day is a dramatic tale of responsibility of honor told as a political thriller set in a high school student government. The film chronicles Michael's journey to save both his shot at the presidency, and his pregnant girlfriend's reputation.

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Dana Hills High School, Dana Point, California, USA

Election Day

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