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A Short Mission: One Bad Day

Josh Crooks. Remember that name because guaranteed in a few years it is going to be bounced around the award circuit with levels of appreciation. This young director from up North, who learnt his craft down South is simply full of cinematic talent from intense script writing to directorial skills. Working on his first feature film, which will hopefully come out this year or so, Narcissists, is full of fraught and tense emotions and his teaser is only several seconds long.

The reason for all this praise on Josh Crooks’ work is because of One Bad Day, a Batman based movie that has already solidified my faith in Crooks’ talents. One Bad Day is a fictionalised account of the period after The Killing Joke and Death in the Family. Batman has been driven to rage by The Joker. But will The Joker push Batman to break his uttermost rule? Will Batman be pushed to kill?

This is a short of an excellent calibre. Wonderfully written, with the inner turmoil of Batman well portrayed on the screen. Although there is sounding issues and the lead of Bats isn’t as enthralling as other depictions, Crooks develops a truly ingenious version of the caped crusader. It’s obvious that Crooks has an eye for the sublime as One Bad Day oozes with these beautiful angles and shots that capture the tension and atmosphere of the scene.

But truly, all applause goes to actor Reece Mahdi who doesn’t just riff off a caricature Joker based solely on Nicholson or Ledger. In fact, he encompasses a different element to him while still portraying the beloved villain from the comic books and making him dance delightfully on screen.

One Bad Day is an excellent stand-off between two icons; one good and one bad. It is the words that The Joker throws around that is truly enthralling and this movie hits the spot.


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