We’ve seen society collapse many times on film in the past, be it an asteroid hitting Earth, a zombie virus, or environmental disaster. Director Virginia Root takes a different approach in her short Dead Weight, focusing on the human reaction to the end of humanity.

Alexandra Renzo plays Grace, a hiker cheerfully tracking through the wilderness. She’s surprised to encounter Aaron (Griffin Newman), with the two revealing to the audience that the apocalypse has occurred while both of them were in nature, making them unwitting survivors. The discovery of a body leads to a different reaction from both wanderers – Aaron is determined to find a plan for mankind to survive, while Grace has used this clean slate to enjoy the moment. The pair’s opposing views leads to an uncomfortable confrontation.

Filming in a manner that feels surprisingly calm and practical, director Virginia Root offers a thoughtful essay on the practicalities of being able to throw off society’s constraints. It also asks whether we need that structure in order to survive, and even if we might flourish if we simply made each moment feel special.

It’s an interesting discussion that covers a lot of ground over a short period of time. It’s quite clear that Root favours Grace’s point-of-view, given the characterisation of Aaron as jittery, selfish, and desperate. On paper it is the more compelling argument, although it would have made for a more challenging piece if those two points-of view-were presented on an even playing field.

Nonetheless, in the 15 minutes we are with Grace we are able to step fully into her shoes, with an emotional moment watching old footage on a mobile phone suggesting her survival isn’t entirely without sacrifice. Renzo makes the character likeable and intriguing, the sort of person that you hope you might be should you be faced with such circumstances, as opposed to Newman’s slightly comedic antagonist, who is maybe who you fear you would actually be.

To find something new to talk about amid the endless stream of apocalypse stories is impressive, and while Dead Weight may not pack the philosophical punch it might have been capable of, it will leave audiences with a lot to think about.

Dead Weight premiered at 2025 Dances with Films.