Fireflies in the Dusk (2025)

-Written by Kyle Bain.

Charlotte (Emily Goss) and Zachary (Nick Ballard) share a love that transcends space and time. When they are finally able to meet, that love is challenged. Fireflies in the Dusk is a story of love that questions our morals and our values. 

The title alone, Fireflies in the Dusk, caused me to believe that the short film would be a deep, emotional journey. Something about the title felt sophisticated and meaningful. Yet, the second the film begins I uttered the following words out loud: “This is a comedy.” These words came out in shock, almost confusion–as this was not at all what I anticipated from Fireflies in the Dusk. However, the film instantly envelops viewers in a world of whimsy and cheap, effective humor. 

Writer-Director Jonathan Hammond puts a lot of time and effort into developing juxtapositional sets, sets that are true to their respective time periods, developing a story that manages to possess depth that I felt would elude it in the early going. Sophisticated furniture and knick knacks from the nineteenth century fill the screen, expanding upon Charlotte’s life–then sudden shifts to modern day create something more shallow, but also more accessible. Fireflies in the Dusk doesn’t need to include era-specific details in order to work, as the silliness that permeates the film is what ultimately carries it forward–but Hammond ensures that he’s true to his characters and his story, developing something honest in this regard. 

Fireflies in the Dusk is a battle of wits, a battle between simplicity and sophistication–one that plays out in a way that’s interestingly fluid, accessible, and welcome. Charlotte represents a time in which most believe possessed more honorable values, a time in which the world was a far simpler place. Zachary represents just the opposite. He wants to play video games with his friends, he’s often aloof at work, and he lacks a drive that might propel him toward success. The polar opposite characters are attracted to one another in Fireflies in the Dusk, but why? I feel that this is the beauty of this absurd film. Fireflies in the Dusk doesn’t necessarily make much sense on the surface, but the deeper questions that arise as a result of this unlikely romance allows viewers to play along, and the film ultimately exists to facilitate conversation and the understanding of social conventions. 

Fireflies in the Dusk plays on juxtaposition to create something deeper than what’s initially apparent. The dialogue is another example of this, as, once again, simplicity meets sophistication. There’s an effective balance created by Hammond and Co-Writer Ryan Roach in terms of the dialogue. They are tasked with moving swiftly, back and forth between Victorian English and modern-day informal vernacular, and they achieve this with grace. That dialogue is well developed, and equally well executed by the actors. 

This short film is not at all what I expected. Fireflies in the Dusk plays on other material, but manipulates the topic in a way that allows it to become both mystical and grounded. Hammond and Roach create an accessible film that plays with space and time, but effectively analyzes typical social conventions, including gender roles, capitalism, and more. Fireflies in the Dusk is detailed, yet perfectly simplistic–and a brilliant blend of both enables the birth of something quite intriguing. 

Directed by Jonathan Hammond. 

Written by Jonathan Hammond & Ryan Roach. 

Starring Emily Goss, Nick Ballard, Hale Appleman, Amy Yasbeck, Jade Catta-Preta, etc. 

8/10 = WORTH RENTING OR BUYING