From Omeleto.
A squash champ gives a lesson.
CRACK SHOT is used with permission from Alex Cohen. Learn more at https://alexrcohen.org.
Justin was once a top-tier junior squash champion. But after burning out on his intense competitive edge, he stepped away from competitive play and now spends his days coaching young players.
But during a routine lesson, Justin is approached by a father named Pierce, who offers him a high sum of money to train his son Tucker, an up-and-coming squash talent. But when the coaching session escalates into a tense and emotionally charged match, Justin must confront his past and the very reasons he stopped competing.
Directed and written by Alex Cohen, this compelling short drama explores competitive fire, ambition and the alchemy of internal and external pressure, filtered through the rarefied world of squash. Capturing the sport’s claustrophobic intensity and elitist leanings from the perspective of someone initially burned by it, the film is a study of a young former champion, haunted not just by his past failures and struggles but also his successes — and a promise of greatness he’s never quite let go of.
Richly written, the storytelling skillfully intertwines both rich and subtle character insights with a darkly gripping escalation of tension, beginning with the careworn, weighed-down main character. Justin is introduced as an almost morose, rote presence at first, giving a desultory lesson to kids at a squash court. But something in him quickens when Pierce interrupts the instruction with a demand: he wants Justin to stop what he’s doing and play Tucker in the hopes of getting him to the next level.
The request is arrogant, from the timing of it to the easy promise of money, but Justin takes him up on it. What comes next is a contained but intense storm of competition, goaded on by the increasingly malevolent dad and emphasized by the dynamic, expertly wrought camerawork, editing and cinematography. The visuals emphasize the tight confines of the court, the disorienting speed of play and the concentrated focus of the players, dropping us in the midst of a thrillingly difficult, demanding sport. But more importantly, it mirrors the tightening intensity of Justin’s state of mind.
Interestingly, his most formidable opponent isn’t the young son, who has little dialogue and is rarely the subject of the shot. Instead, the primary combat is between Justin and Pierce, and the fight is psychological. The father emerges as a manipulative, even abusive force, asserting his considerable wealth, power and his unspoken assessment of Justin, who finds it galling to be seen as a washed-up also-ran.
As Justin, actor YiJie Lin has a coiled, tightly wound presence, one whose surface diffidence sheds as he immerses himself in an increasingly agitated match. Actor Peter Larney as the driven, harsh father is a wily, toxic and supremely self-assured adversary who knows just how to play Justin — and awaken an inner demon that, perhaps, mirrors his own.
Immersive and riveting to watch, CRACK SHOT is like many sports dramas, where the physical struggle, face-to-face rivalry and direct pressure become a compelling metaphor and vehicle for past traumas and suppressed desires. What makes it particularly notable is how it seamlessly twins increasingly aggressive physicality with an even more anxiety-producing threat of emotional violence, especially as Pierce pressures his son and manipulates Justin. It hints at a larger world of affluence, achievement and competition that is ripe for expansion — a breeding ground to stoke flickers of self-doubt and past failures into a punishing drive to prove one’s self.
