Filmmaker Spotlight: “Acquitted” by Keith Collins II
This month’s spotlight is a 2017 short that should be lauded for delivering a powerful message about a dark issue that has plagued America for a long time.
“Acquitted” is a 10-minute supernatural horror film directed by Keith Collins II. Matt Rossman stars with Jerry Sur, Finn Fiasko and John Maslowski in supporting roles. The film tells the story of a police officer who oversteps his authority and takes the life of a young black couple during what should have been a routine traffic stop. But he soon learns that he can’t escape judgement from the dead.
As many of you know, I don’t like to reveal a lot about horror films and prefer that viewers go in knowing as little as possible. What I will say is that as a filmmaker, Keith (the director of a previous spotlight short called “Splitscreen”) masterfully tackles complex subject matters through the guise of genre films and this piece is no different. “Acquitted” isn’t just some horror film that exists for the sake of entertainment; it’s a short that is meant to highlight a ghastly facet of being black in America.
And despite the fact that this film was produced three years ago, its harrowing theme unfortunately remains relevant. The death of George Floyd, and the protests that have resulted from it, have served as a painful reminder of the consternation and angst that we as black people in America must deal with on a daily basis. My hope is that through this short, and the work of many other filmmakers & artists around the world, we can shed enough light on this pressing issue so that we as a people no longer have to fear the men and women who were sworn to protect us and our fellow countrymen.
I’ll be back next month with another short. But for now…
