User Reviews

"Torpedo" is neither a short nor a feature. At 42 minutes, it feels just right, but it won't fit the average theater's screening grid. I suggest you try to hunt it down anyway. It's anything but a shallow mainstream movie, but it's not one of those over-eager indie pictures either. It deals with a serious subject, but in a light-hearted way. Writer director Helene Hegemann gives us a slice from Mia's life. Aged 15, she is has no choice but to grow up fast. She is looking for clues, but there is nothing simple that she can see. Her dad has passed away long ago. Her mom is a drunk. Her aunt is a self-centered hippie. Random strangers will beat her up for spare change.Given her chances, Mia is a much more stable person than you would expect. In fact, all the adults in her life are a lot less responsible than she is. But the narrative is by no means infected with the gravity of its subject matter. On the contrary, it's light-hearted to the point of deliberate absurdity. Despite a life-changing event towards the end, the ending itself is open.