Last updated Nov 29, 2025 Share Save Me From Heaven is the latest entry in the twenty-one year old writer and director Seán Treacy ’s short film cinematic universe. In its sub-fifteen minute runtime, the piece covers quite a lot of ground: There are questions about the meaning of life, the finality of death, the transience of memories and the importance of the people we bring along the way, all packaged neatly in a (tired comparison, I know) Black Mirror-esque sci-fi plot. The film follows the experience of a young woman, Rachel (Abby Fitz), who has died suddenly in a car crash. Rachel has been landed in a nondescript forest, with no memory of who she is or how she got there. This is because she has been uploaded to a virtual afterlife by a software administrator, Karl (Diarmuid Noyes), during a horrific storm. The storm ensured that Rachel’s upload was interrupted, leaving her memories behind. In order to avoid deletion, Rachel must recover her memories, and quickly. To do so, she must go through the pain of engaging with a cast of loved ones she no longer recognises, including her daughter Julie (Aida O’Malley), her mother and father (Muireann Ryan and Shane Lynch), and the father of her child, Chris (Cal O’Driscoll). What unfolds is a beautiful exploration of connection, nostalgia, and life itself. Much of the heavy lifting is done by Abby Fitz, who is superb in her central role. She really sells the confused, panicked anxiety of being landed in an unfamiliar place, and her interactions with her family-turned-strangers are made all the more painful thanks to her performance. Scenes in which she must confess to a child who claims to be her daughter that she does not recognize her – and the moments when the intensity of a core memory suddenly comes rushing back – pack a significant emotional punch. Noyes’ performance as a panicked software engineer is also worth noting. You can’t help but feel his desperation for Rachel, amplified by his inability to do anything other than watch on and hope. The star of the show, however, is undoubtedly child actor Aida O’Malley, who performs with a maturity beyond her years. During one particular scene, Karl speaks through her in an attempt to communicate Rachel’s predicament. The manner in which O’Malley delivers these lines is profoundly unsettling. (Think the devil speaking through a child in an 80’s horror, or perhaps, given the cultural moment, the Mind Flayer speaking through Will in Stranger Things ). She is being asked to play an adult and child at the same time, managing to do so with aplomb. Of course, the filmmaking provides a solid platform for these fine performances. Treacy has an obvious eye for a beautiful shot, with the film’s emotional climax coming against the backdrop of a sun creeping through dense forestry. Pausing the film at any point during the forest scenes will reveal the care with which Treacy has established his set pieces, and the effort that has gone into every small detail. There are alterations in light to create a sense of hope whenever a memory is recovered, as well as dilutions in colour whenever we flash back to the grim reality of Karl watching on helplessly at his office computer. That a director of Treacy’s quality is only twenty-one years old is frankly absurd. There is also a very effective score here, composed by Alberto Hernández and Guilherme Simoes. It is gentle, atmospheric, and is perfectly suited to the sensitivity of the themes unfolding onscreen. Although those themes are predominantly about life and death, the storm causing the failed upload could be read as an attempt to highlight the ongoing threat of climate change, whereas the general apathy Karl and his co-worker ( Ben Condron ) display towards their job once the clock strikes five (that is of course, before Rachel’s situation reveals itself), is indicative of humanity’s disdain for the hamster wheel and our constant struggle against the boredom inherent in the office space. All in all, Save Me From Heaven is a really impressive short film from an equally impressive cast of people. It says an awful lot in a very short space of time, without ever feeling rushed or forced. It is beautifully shot, boasts an intelligent premise, and the entire thing sticks with you after the credits roll. The icing on the cake is that it even boasts a characteristically sci-fi twist. A real triumph from the future of Irish film. Save Me From Heaven will premiere November 30th at the Foyle Film Festival Read our interview with director Seán Treacy Source: https://headstuff.org/entertainment/film/save-me-from-heaven-review-black-mirror-irish/