GRAUMAN’S CHINESE THEATRE

The fourth segment, set in Seattle, “Pacific Northwest,” is directed by Bobby Roe and written by Bobby Roe and Zack Andrews (both of the wildly prolific The Houses October Built series). They really pulled out all the stops for this one. While this isn’t the most visually wild segment, it packs one of the strongest punches in the movie. This story follows two children, Sunny and Bodhi, presumably Bobby’s real-life children since they share a last name, as they try and navigate the f*cked up world by themselves. Did I mention that they are children? Not like 12- or 13-year-olds, like young-young. They lost one parent and are hoping that the other parent will be coming to save them. Things soon go awry as it looks like hope may be lost for them.

One of the things that makes “Pacific Northwest” is the acting. Typically, when it comes to performances that land on the shoulders of children, it’s really hit or miss. Sunny and Bodhi do a wonderful job in this segment and really embody the sadness of their situation. There isn’t a huge amount of dialogue in this one, but the physical acting that these kids do is very impressive.

-Horror Obsessive

“The jewel in the shiny crown though is the Seattle-set Pacific Northwest from Bobby Roe. Roe places his own children into the film, making them the stars and tells a devastating tale of abandonment, innocence, and survival. This is easily the most heartbreaking, unsettling, and stressful story amongst the lot. “

-The Hollywood News

“Perhaps the most effective here is ‘Pacific Northwest’ where two young children are left alone with no parents to look after them. Together they have to escape from a man wearing a terrifying mask, and they only have one another to rely on. The short could be taken as a metaphor for those of us that have lost loved ones during a pandemic that is more harmful to older people than younger. Director Bobby Roe crafts a gripping and unsettling tale that is the standout of the bunch.”

-Arrow Video

“Most harrowing is Bobby Roe’s Pacific Northwest, which focuses on the weight of the future being carried by a pair of alarmingly young children who must cope with immense, incomprehensible loss while calling on their wits to escape a pair of masked adult marauders. In this bleak collection, those two children become symbols of resourcefulness, resilience and survival, and the poignancy of their orphaned status is only increased by the knowledge that they are played by the director’s own children, Sunny and Bodhi Roe, in what must have been a difficult shoot for all involved.”

-Projected Figures

“Bobby Roe’s segment Pacific Northwest features some fantastic child acting.”

-Starburst Magazine

“The most conceptually interesting of the nine films, the Seattle-set “Pacific Northwest” (directed by Bobby Roe), where two young children attempt to survive at home alone as a pair of masked assailants invade their homestead. This is a great example of a smart filmmaker cannily exploiting the resources available to them; some gorgeous natural locations, and his own children who give impressively convincing performances as the embattled siblings. It’s the most poignant short by far and earns its more expansive 15-minute length.”

-Flickering Myth