Sci-fi short EXILE opens without much preamble; the film gets down to the action right away.

A sheriff (Jon Huertas) is awakened from slumber by his teenage daughter (Natalie Tisano), who alerts him to a prowler on their farm.

Both armed, the duo anxiously search their property for the intruder.

When they find the stranger, it soon becomes evident the being is not… human.

The sheriff immediately resorts to deadly force in dealing with the stranger, but his daughter’s compassion causes the confrontation to end in a most unexpected manner.

EXILE was written and directed by filmmaker Mark Freiburger, who has crafted a modern morality tale about how we, as human beings, tend to respond to individuals and situations we do not understand with fear and violence.

Freiburger proves he is a master at pacing due to EXILE presenting its thesis within a remarkable runtime of just under six minutes.

He manages to immediately build tension and suspense by exploiting a deep-seated fear most of us have grappled with at some point: the prospect of the sanctity of our homes being violated by a stranger.

Essential to the short’s dramatic impact is its two main leads.

They have a palpable onscreen rapport. As a viewer, you completely buy into their familial bond.

This is a tribute to the actors, the laser-focused script, beautiful cinematography, and the hyper-kinetic energy surrounding the short’s dynamic - and titillating! - conclusion.

Watch EXILE in its entirety below…

EXILE is a compact-though-gripping sci-fi narrative exploring the often fraught consequences of being seen as “other.”

Given the current political and social climate we are coping with, it is a very timely message as well.

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