An ill-fated criminal speeds up to a deserted gas station in his Ford Mustang. The attached 24-hour convenient mart blares twangy country music as its only employee behind the counter flips through a “Home & Life” magazine. Swiftly moving through the aisles, the customer finds what he came for and approaches the counter. His demeanor and mannerisms express the need to quickly pay and leave. The clerk warns him of an approaching storm––completely unenthused by his sense of urgency. Astute composition and camera movement in the short film Open 24 Hours by Henry Chaisson of Brown University reflects techniques used in some of the greatest thrillers in cinema. This short film published by OPB’s Film School Shorts shows viewers how vexing one detour can become in a matter of seconds. What makes Open 24 Hours unique is its nod to true suspense with a touch of comedic flair.
Every shot in the opening sequence alludes to a potentially dangerous man with a secret in his trunk. The intro begins with an old Mustang swinging into a vacant gas station; the only source of light outside comes from above the gas pump (0:16). Before the noisy Mustang’s arrival, cricket chirps are the only sign of life.
At (0:27), the wide shot of the car cuts to a medium shot of the subject’s trunk, which is held for five seconds before the camera pans left––focusing attention on the driver’s boots as he steps out of the car. The camera slowly tilts up with high-pitched music becoming increasingly louder to reveal the back of the driver’s head looking up at the empty convenient store. At this point, his face has not been revealed, depicting the subject as mysterious and potentially dangerous.
Secluded location: Big storm. The wide and ultra wide shots of inside the empty market reinforce the sense of isolation we gather in the intro. As the subject grabs the only two items he came for (rope and duct tape), the camera slowly pans toward the clerk who’s unaware and uninterested in the shopper’s quick arrival to the cash register (1:41).
When the driver says, “no,” to being an “Extra Value” member of the store, the clerk insists on using her card for his purchase. This particular sequence is prolonged to raise the stakes for the man with a mystery in the trunk of his car.
A series of action/reaction shots between the clerk and the criminal create tension in the scene. After scanning the value card, an exorbitant amount of coupons slowly prints at the register as the subject looks on in awe.
Rather than compress time, editors extended the register scene to emphasize the awkward, high tension exchange between killer and clerk.
For viewers, the conflicting expressions between the two allude to an impending climax: we can sense a problematic event looming over our characters in the film. The contents of the man’s car trunk remain a mystery, yet we do know he needs to act fast. His car continues to rock back and forth and coupons continue to print (2:45).
Suspense peaks when a human hand punches through the Mustang’s taillight as we see an arm flailing outside the trunk (3:28).
Gobbling down a donut, a new customer looms over the duct tape and rope the man tries to purchase; he represents small-town law enforcement (4:33). The officer asks: “Special night?”
Realizing the man did not pay for the purchase, the officer chases after him out the door (5:29). The camera focuses on the clerk who comes face-to-face with the temptation to steal money-saving coupons. She eventually scoops up all the “Extra Value” coupons and shoves them in her purse while the bandit, the officer, and the victim chase each other back and forth directly behind our view of the clerk. Oblivious to the impending gunshots, the short ends with a boisterous maniacal laugh.
“You naughty thing, you!”
This Film School Short uses a variety of techniques to exude tension and suspense. In addition to the composition of action/reaction shots in Open 24 Hours, the casting and lighting play significant roles in the overall feel of the film. The coolness of the color palette and the strategic sound effects alluded to the idea that the main character was indeed a killer.
Onscreen, the filmmakers depict the odd exchange between characters in a way that provokes comedic relief while still maintaining its initial feel of impending doom. I find that the most entertaining thrillers have an absurd or comedic air about them as we can see in Open 24 Hours. In just seven minutes, the film evokes a variety of emotions and leaves the viewer postulating the ending. After all, we still don’t know who was shot. We only know that the clerk went home with a purse-full of stolen coupons, which producers placed emphasis on instead of the chase outside. This quirky ending seals the deal for me: indeed funny and suspenseful.
