A review of On Hold
On Hold
Published August 2, 2026
Synopsis
A father. One impossible day. And a single phone call that could change everything.
Critic Score
★★★★☆ 4.0
Audience Score
★★★★★ 4.5
(20 ratings)
Cast
Crew
24 responses to “On Hold”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Before I review any film, I watch it at least twice. This was an easy watch with only 16 minutes runtime, so I watched it three times. Here is my take on this film…
On Hold does something a lot of short films try and fail to do: it trusts silence. So much of the runtime is spent in the pauses between what’s said, and that’s where the real performance lives. There’s no rush to explain anything to you, no expository dialogue holding your hand through the emotional beats. The film assumes you’re smart enough to feel your way through it, and that’s rare for something this short.
What struck me most on the first watch was the restraint. A lot of filmmakers working in this emotional register overcorrect, they lean into melodrama because they’re worried the audience won’t feel enough on their own. This does the opposite. The camera holds on faces a beat longer than you expect, lets a silence sit uncomfortably before someone finally speaks, and that discomfort is doing narrative work.
By the second watch I was paying less attention to what was happening and more to how it was being framed, the blocking, Rodney’s emotion.
The third watch is where the sound design really opened up for me. The hold music truly started to annoy me and at first, I was bothered. Then I realized that was the intention. If it bothered me, it for sure bothered Rodney.
For a film this short, it doesn’t feel like it’s racing a clock. A lot of shorts either try to cram a feature’s worth of plot into fifteen minutes or they pad things out because they’re scared of feeling slight. This one understands its own scale. It picks one true thing and sits with it, and because of that restraint, it actually lingers with you longer than films three times its length.
If I have a note, I feel when the lights were cut and the call disconnected, Rodney could have been even more angry. I would have loved to see an explosion moment from him.
Overall I really enjoyed this work.
A real story that happens to real people — I appreciate everything about this short film. I could feel the everyday pressures of navigating adulthood caving in on the character. Great work Ronnie, Blake, and the entire cast/crew.
Meh- it was cool but I just didn’t get it. If one paycheck could throw your life off like that- it was no saving it to begin with. Not relatable. Was cool I guess
okay- I watched and ngl it kinda snuck up on me. it’s short, like 16 minutes, but it doesn’t feel rushed which is impressive for something that length. a lot of shorts either try to cram way too much story in or they just meander, this one actually picks its moment and stays with it.
what worked for me the most was the vibe honestly. felt lived in, not performed if that makes sense. BUT-
if i’m being real though, there were a couple spots where i wanted just a little more breathing room, like one or two moments felt like they wrapped up a beat too fast right when it was starting to hit. not a huge deal but i noticed myself wanting to sit in it a little longer before it moved on. also the ending, i get what it was going for, but it felt slightly abrupt to me. would have loved to see what he did after the door closed. not saying rewrite it or nothing, just something i’d think about for next time.
but overall yeah, solid watch. it’s the kind of short that makes you curious what this person does with more room to work with. def recommend.
Job well done by all involved! The story pulled me in right away. Ronnie hats off to you sir. Amazing job! Blake Martin there are no words. Just know that you did the darn thing!
This was a really good watch! Extremely relatable situation for all men but especially Black men. I would have loved to see more of his external moments. I.E. Him going up to the school, actually going to the bank, talking to the young girls mother, etc. but I understand short films dont allow for that much exploration. With that said, for a short-I liked it. I loved the somewhat chaotic camera movement the more and more his emotions tightened. Not sure if that was intentional but I liked that. I also think it was smart to introduce the daughter very early on so we had a visual reference of what he was fighting for. My feedback would be about the VO. They were good but you can tell in cadence when a VO is done during post production versus done while filming so each person matches energy. But thats minor. Really great subject matter and a great easy watch. Thanks for sharing your work.
Solid Production. Good Lighting, Sound, Storyline, and Acting. A Couple of the One Liner Jokes didn’t hit because it wasn’t the right time or place for those, but other than that I liked the majority of the writing and intensity.
I couldn’t disagree more. I thought the one liner jokes were naturally funny and were needed to help break up the tension of the moments. I think they were placed well.
Job well done! Every moment I felt the heart pumping and fist clenching, as I could relate to every instance. There are many times that I have worked with Blake and every time he amazes me with his creativity! I tend to be glued to the screen in suspense every single time! Ronnie, I take my hat off to you for displaying a character to where we can all relate and feel every moment that you felt in this film! Just know, we’re all ON HOLD for the next film!
i went in thinking “oh a short film about a dad having a rough morning” and came out feeling like i’d just finished one of those books that guts you in like 90 pages.
what got me first is how quiet it starts. like genuinely domestic and soft — the daughter in the apartment -“teenager who hasn’t learned the weight of the world yet” energy. then Rodney’s in the bathroom being a whole comedy bit on a dating app and i’m like okay this is gonna be a light one, huh?
it was not a light one.
the way the movie slowly tightens the screws on this man — one phone call at a time, one knock at a time — is genuinely so good! we’ve all been there on some level, even if the stakes weren’t “i might lose my daughter.”
and can we talk about the mom phone call?? “i knew you would. i’m proud of you.” OH. that hit me, it was so damn sad. he lied to protect her from worry and she believed him and it broke me more than if she’d found out the truth. that’s such a specific kind of love — the performance of being okay for the people who love you.
8.5/10, I enjoyed this alot!
This was such a beautiful watch. Visually and emotionally, so captivating. I was definitely stressed out the entire time lol, but that means y’all did the job! Thank you for this beautiful work!