Watch Kids' Reviews of
NEXUS, THE

The Nexus is suspenseful and thrilling. This student made film is quite appealing as it has a traditional, one of which is seen in much of popular media. The format starts off lovely and ends by scoring a little below the mark.

The storyline follows what happens after a kid goes missing and a group of his friends band together to find him.

The storyline is not what stands out the most in this film. There are several scenes that look far too similar to the popular series, Stranger Things. This seems like a coincidence, except that every exchange appears to be something from the popular show. It's clear that the writer has taken inspiration from popular media, but since such these vital parts are unoriginal, that should be taken into consideration. Considering this is the work of a seventh grader, it is difficult to fault even the plot when the production is so well done.

The cinematography is incredible; every shot is breath-taking, and you have to give credit to the cinematographer, Caleb Reese Paul, who shot this at age 12. I especially enjoyed a scene where the camera is angled so that we see the perspective of the 'goo' the children are examining. All the shots are very professional and creative but this one stands out. The locations at the house and woods are all very fitting for the sci-fi story. The background music is very techno, which immediately supports the sci-fi vibe the director is striving for. The lighting is well done, especially for the scenes that take place at night, when it's a challenge to see the characters and keep the darkness. At one point, there is a bright pink light that is signaling us (the viewers) that these children are entering another dimension of sorts. While we do have to use our imaginations for this, the director took great initiative as it wasn't difficult to visualize at all. The work that stands out the most is the cinematography; much of the film emphasizes the beauty of the shots, rather than its contents. We never learn much about the characters, either in their backstory or purpose, but the actors that play them are clearly skilled. They make the scenes feel natural, which is not always the case in student made films. The cast includes Lily Buchanan, Griffin Wallace Henkel and John Mahanna plus Caleb Reese Paul, who is also director, writer and producer. Caleb is a 12-year-old actor who has toured the country playing Peter in the Broadway national Tour of Finding Neverland and plays the son of Jeremy Sito and Mara Davi on the Dick Wolf series FBI.

The message of this film is to "be safe and don't go monster hunting. You should know that it contains mild profanity.

I give The Nexus 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 8 to 18, plus adults. Reviewed by Joshitha B., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic

The Nexus is suspenseful and thrilling. This student made film is quite appealing as it has a traditional, one of which is seen in much of popular media. The format starts off lovely and ends by scoring a little below the mark.

The storyline follows what happens after a kid goes missing and a group of his friends band together to find him.

The storyline is not what stands out the most in this film. There are several scenes that look far too similar to the popular series, Stranger Things. This seems like a coincidence, except that every exchange appears to be something from the popular show. It's clear that the writer has taken inspiration from popular media, but since such these vital parts are unoriginal, that should be taken into consideration. Considering this is the work of a seventh grader, it is difficult to fault even the plot when the production is so well done.

The cinematography is incredible; every shot is breath-taking, and you have to give credit to the cinematographer, Caleb Reese Paul, who shot this at age 12. I especially enjoyed a scene where the camera is angled so that we see the perspective of the 'goo' the children are examining. All the shots are very professional and creative but this one stands out. The locations at the house and woods are all very fitting for the sci-fi story. The background music is very techno, which immediately supports the sci-fi vibe the director is striving for. The lighting is well done, especially for the scenes that take place at night, when it's a challenge to see the characters and keep the darkness. At one point, there is a bright pink light that is signaling us (the viewers) that these children are entering another dimension of sorts. While we do have to use our imaginations for this, the director took great initiative as it wasn't difficult to visualize at all. The work that stands out the most is the cinematography; much of the film emphasizes the beauty of the shots, rather than its contents. We never learn much about the characters, either in their backstory or purpose, but the actors that play them are clearly skilled. They make the scenes feel natural, which is not always the case in student made films. The cast includes Lily Buchanan, Griffin Wallace Henkel and John Mahanna plus Caleb Reese Paul, who is also director, writer and producer. Caleb is a 12-year-old actor who has toured the country playing Peter in the Broadway national Tour of Finding Neverland and plays the son of Jeremy Sito and Mara Davi on the Dick Wolf series FBI.

The message of this film is to "be safe and don't go monster hunting. You should know that it contains mild profanity.

I give The Nexus 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 8 to 18, plus adults. Reviewed by Joshitha B., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic

"The Nexus" is a sci-fi-horror-thriller short film. It follows a young group of pop-culture loving, bike riding kids searching to find their missing friend. But along the way, they discover there may be more to his disappearance than meets the eye.