“Reconcile delivers a powerful story which audiences will love and feel a connection with.”

This short film caught us by complete surprise and we’re glad it did. From the opening credits we could tell this was a film that would deliver. Reconcile is a powerful drama focusing on the story of a brother and sister embarking on a camping trip to lay their deceased father to rest. What seems like an otherwise simple story, develops with a rich backstory and powerful performances.

Killian Davies takes on directing, writing and acting which is impressive as he manages to deliver in all these areas. Davies has a complete understanding of both characters and doesn’t play it safe. By keeping the location contained and with only two characters, Davies has the time to nurture the story and draw the audience in. 

Rachel Taggatz plays “Jess” playing opposite Davies and doesn’t disappoint. Taggatz delivers a superb performance and is totally believable as the older sister with her warmth and caring nature. Together they both create a real sense of family. 

The dialogue and bond between brother and sister feels natural as they struggle with the loss of their father in different ways, creating an underlying sense of turmoil between them both which grows throughout the film and keeps the audience invested. This is a well thought out story with excellent dialogue which doesn’t feel forced.

Director of Photography James Carillo is worth mentioning here as he manages to capture the film expertly on a relatively small budget. Carillo shows skill and understanding of filmmaking with his choice of cinematography which helps make the film and capture the great performances. The use of aerial shots and ground filming all fit together exceptionally well and is colour graded perfectly. 

This film is a great example of great performances mixed with great cinematography which should be encouraged by every filmmaker as sometimes the balance can be off. ‘Reconcile’ delivers a powerful story which audiences will love and feel a connection with.

— APEX Film Awards