Céline Roustan
Back in the 80s, the ancestor of apps like Tinder, Bumble or Hinge was the video dating service, where those looking for love were asked to tape a video profile, introducing themselves and what they were looking for in a partner. It was a process a lot more complicated than carefully curating pictures from our camera roll, but also offered a greater sense of authenticity and intimacy. In writer/director Imogen McCluskey’s 10-minute short Atomic Love, we join Dana as she helps her best friend Aleea record her video profile and as she struggles to put into words her thoughts and feelings on love, we come to understand that there might be a very specific reason for that.
“I was inspired after watching videos of 80’s ‘studs’ looking for love”
With McCluskey citing videos of 80’s ‘studs’ looking for love as her initial source of inspiration for Atomic Love, one can easily imagine how cringey, yet captivating, those videos can be. Look past that superficial layer however and there is something incredibly brave and real in those video profiles, where you’re asked to expose your wants and desires to strangers. “The intimacy of it struck me”, McCluskey shares with us and with her work revolving around human connections and communication, or lack thereof, she blended both to create the narrative and the setting of Atomic Love, using the context as an active catalyst in provoking a confession.
From the very first second, the 80’s VHS aesthetic of McCluskey’s short is fun and entertaining, with the director ensuring every detail of her film looks the part, the costumes and the hair and make-up doing a great job in contributing to the effective throwback. Shot on an actual camcorder, in a single take, while some might find the cinematography a bit static, by not moving the camera and having the conversations happen both on and off-screen, with the characters being in and out of the frame the audience really feels like it is intruding on a genuine, intimate moment in the relationship of Aleea and Dana.
“We shot the film on a camcorder in a single take” – the nostalgic aesthetic of Atomic Love is vital to its success.
With a simple setting and some equally stripped-down production, the focus is really put on the central performances in Atomic Love and ultimately it is these that make the film so emotionally effective. Yes, the screenplay is sharply written, with a structure that makes the emotional arc captivating, but it is the chemistry and intensity of Maddy McWilliam and Priscilla Doueihy that makes it look so compelling on screen. The genuine feel of their relationship makes the emotional beats of the narrative so effective and even when they are not in the frame their exchanges feel so raw and honest. The awkwardness of the process remains compelling without ever feeling overplayed, and as the tension between the two of them intensifies, this results in making Aleea’s confession all the more heartbreaking. McWilliam really nails that final monologue with a riveting authenticity.
Ahead of its online premiere today, Atomic Love hit the 2020 festival circuit with notable stops at BFI Flare, Outfest and Encounters. In addition to being a Directing Fellow at the American Film Institute, McCluskey is currently developing several projects, including a television adaptation of Atomic Love.