The drive for “Donor” that keeps the film afloat are the duel performances and writing. Without them, “Donor” feels like an ultimately hazy and foggy film in regards toward its intent. It’s a film that claims to be about god and love, but in the end I could never actually decide if “Donor” was about. Does it discourage donating eggs to help couples conceive since it may be against God? Is it for donating eggs? Is it merely an objective short film about a moment in a couple’s life, meant to incite conversation among audiences? I could never quite be sure. In either case, “Donor” is a strong and very compelling short film thanks to the tight writing and excellent performances from the duel cast of Trevor Algatt and Alexis Boozer.
Meanwhile, the character of Sam seems to ride on the motives of helping people, while helping herself in the process. Mark Gantt directs the short with great directorial finesse, allowing the actors to keep the film moving along, and it works. I found the performances to be strong and very powerful and they really do add urgency to the plot and ultimate conflict involving religion, priority, and the future.
While I was never sure on the intent of the premise and mission behind, “Donor” is a very entertaining short film thanks to its set of powerful performances and good direction. This is definitely a thought provoking cinematic effort worthy of an audience.