The Grocery Store
Two grocery store clerks stock shelves in a grocery store during a storm. A woman announces a tornado is heading towards the store. The clerks seek shelter in the back of the store saving two customers on their way. The clerks and the two customers become trapped in the backroom and escape after the storm passes.
- Producer
Laney Perrine - Writer
Nathan Hodge - Director
Laney Perrine Nathan Hodge - Cinematographer
Jillian Alexander - Editor
Nathan Hodge - Actors
Daniel Scott Nathan Hodge Heather Jones Zoe Molna
Moody and Mysterious
Right away, the vibe had me. You set the tone fast — that rainy, blue-washed look locked me into something eerie, almost dreamlike. Loved that. And shooting in a real grocery store was a solid call. It grounded the story and gave it a strange familiarity that helped sell the unease. Reminded me of films like The Mist. Now — let’s talk clarity. The acting and technical execution don’t support each other. It’s a strange moment when the characters are running through the store to the back room — the characters are moving as if they are being pushed by wind, but nothing on the shelves or in the rest of the store moves. Because of this, it makes the performances feel over the top and a little silly. Technically, the big one here is exposure. Some shots were blowing out the highlights, while others looked crushed in the shadows. I know you were chasing a look, but exposure issues like that can break immersion. It’s something to really dial in next time. But overall? You pulled off something effective and moody. The craft is there, the instincts are there — now it’s about tightening the execution. Clean up the technical stuff, keep pushing those emotional moments, and keep trusting that atmosphere can do a lot of the heavy lifting when handled right.
Moody and Mysterious with Room for Clarity
Intriguing and evocative. Does a great job of establishing tone right away. The rain and cool blue visuals immediately set the stage for something eerie, and I really appreciated the choice to shoot in a real grocery store. The lighting choices were strong throughout. The flickering lights added to the tension without being overdone. The pan across the room revealing who survived the night, was nicely executed and gave a subtle emotional beat. I even liked the ambiguity of the ending. That said, a few moments could've used more clarity. For instance, when one of our protagonists helps the injured woman, it wasn't clear how she was hurt. There were no visible signs of injury, so the impact of the scene undercut. The biggest technical detail was the exposure on the camera. Several shots were noticeably overexposed, and in a few cases, shots were simultaneously underexposed and overexposed. Overall, though, this was an effective and atmospheric film.
The Grocery Store
Some scenes in the backroom are either too overexposed or underexposed. The timeline during the story is a bit confusing as to why they are running to the back seemingly injured before the tornado strikes. Would have liked to have some Wind and thrashing sound effects to signify that the tornado was striking the store. Shot framing was pretty good, and the music was at proper levels throughout the short.
The Store
This is a solid idea and well done. Shots for the were good, but there are wholes in the story.