Artichoke is a fever dream that feels like three films smashed together. And I don’t mean that it feels like it’s multiple genres; this one in particular feeling like a drama, sci-fi thriller, and horror in one. I mean that Artichoke feels like three distinct visions, each with their own filming style, music, and aesthetic, woven together to create one masterpiece.
On the drama front of it all, when we enter Artichoke, we’re presented with this house that looks like it’s frozen in time. And I really like that the director Amir Moini was intentional with every shot. The frames on the wall mattered, the dishes in the sink mattered, and even the rotted fruit mattered. All of it painted a picture of a life that was lived and that fell apart. And it shows all of that without speaking a single word.
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Then there’s the sci-fi of it. In Artichoke you have a woman named Cynara who discovers a device that opens a portal to another world. And she goes through a game of cat and mouse through different realities with her captor. This one in particular was my favorite because of the interactions between the leads Alyson Gorske and Thomas Dekker. Gorske gave me fear, strength, and anger just with her face card. And Dekker, who I recognized from The Sarah Connor Chronicles, was methodical but also so intentional with every terrifying word that came out of his mouth.
Then comes the horror of Artichoke. As these two go through distinct visions and worlds with beautiful aesthetics and unique music, there comes a point where the reality of this situation crashes around them. All of a sudden this is a thriller horror. And the final girl is running through the field trying to get away from the killer. But she can’t. And Dekker’s character delivers a chilling speech about how he’s inevitable, allowing Cynara to deliver her final blow and confront her oppressor.
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Now I will admit, this last part was my least favorite. And it’s coming from someone who loves horror. It’s just that this horror was giving a little too much 70s, my least favorite type of horror. Nevertheless, I think that Artichoke has something special with these two leads. They have a chemistry that feels like they’ve worked together for years or that this cat and mouse game has been going on for longer than this short film.
But truly, the place that Artichoke shines is the aesthetic of it all and their ability to tell a story without spoon-feeding it to me like most TV and film do today. This short film trusted me to go through this journey at my own pace and understand it. And I did, making it so Artichoke left an impression on me that makes me want to find out who the cinematographer and editor is for this bad boy. Because there’s love in the vision that is created here. True love for the genres presented, but also for the art of filmmaking.
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Artichoke is screening at the 2026 Hollyshorts Film Festival.
