While many filmmakers choose to romanticize childhood in their work, it takes an adept hand to craft a story that draws out the suffering and confusion that is present during that time too. With Lizard, director Emily Gularte does just that. Drawing the story close on a non-typical family unit, this short focuses on the relationship between Veronica (Angie Guzman) and her younger brother Ricky (Emanuel Trujillo). Veronica is conflicted, caught between the instinct to care for her young brother and her need for steady parental figures.
The specifics of the family situation is kept vague, a shrewd choice for the point Gularte is making. In fact, the most prescient decision made in the film is to completely forgo any adult characters. That way, the childhood narrative is not obstructed in the slightest.
The film ends on a somewhat harrowing note, with Veronica and Ricky fighting over a small lizard on the playground. In the struggle, the creature injured severely, and Gularte leaves the camera on Veronica’s face as all of the pain and frustration incurred over the past few minutes of screentime has been unfairly exerted onto this innocent creature. In this moment, she realizes she cannot force her pain onto Ricky. No matter how quickly she was forced to grow up, she can be a stable presence in his life and hopefully save him from a similar fate.
Brief and punchy, Lizard shows clear signs of directorial prowess behind the camera and the pen, a strong showing for Gularte and her team.
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