The 2024 short film The Unaliving of Jacqueline Sophia London shows us a fly on the wall look at a performer bottoming out. Reaching the end of a increasingly desperate rope and finding nothing to help climb back up, Jacqueline shows us what a creative goes through when nothing is working right.
The story
A career stall has Jackie in a spiralling state. A previous incident on another project has the actress desperate for any role. Her self promotion machine, Jackie’s YouTube channel: Princess of Keyport, is bleeding subscribers. A failed relationship plunges her further into depression and a constant state of hopelessness.
Her representation gets cancelled and, for Jackie, this is the last straw.
The Cast
Jacqueline Sophia London is Jackie.
Camille Schiavone is Sam.
Michael Lake is Ricky.
It is a downer
The Unaliving of Jacqueline Sophia London is without a doubt, a downer to watch. All the more so if one is a creative person. Most of us have been there at one time or another. Thankfully, unlike Jackie in this close look at depression and helplessness, most get help from a personal or an impersonal support group.
This is, apart from the off camera characters of Ricky and Sam, a one person showcase. Leading us to a foregone conclusion by the benefit of the title alone. The journey is painful and not a little depressing.
Behind and in Front of the Camera
London brings new meaning to the term “cottage industry.” The Unaliving of Jacqueline Sophia London is her baby. She writes, directs, produces, stars in and shares credit as Director of Photography with one other person: Ricardo Aguirre.
Jacqueline revealed that the entire thing was improvised and shot during Tropical Storm Debbie. It was filmed on a iPhone SE and had a zero budget. This clearly was a labour of love. The editing is impressive here. There is a bit of nudity but thanks to tight camera work and solid editing, you do not see a lot of the actor’s body.
The Verdict
The Unaliving of Jacqueline Sophia London earns a solid 3.5 stars. To be fair, the subject matter and the film itself is ultimately so depressing that it lost a full star. The other loss had to do with sound. Filming with the iPhone is an ingenious move but the sound quality, without that boom mic, suffers. The only other “negative” about the film is its title. As YouTube prohibits discussing death directly, the term “unalive” is used to signify shuffling off this mortal coil.
It is, however, a sign of our times.
the trailer
Sadly, the trailer is age restricted so we cannot run it here. However, head on over to YouTube channel: Princess of Keyport and you can watch it there.
Public Service Announcement
If you or someone you know is suffering from depression, seek help. For Veterans call the Crisis Line; dial 988 ( This is confidential crisis support for Veterans and their loved ones. Then Press 1, chat online, or text 838255.Or for Veterans and non-Veterans call: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK(8255)
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