Summary
A touching little ghost story — something slightly eerie for the festive season, but still beautifully heartwarming.
Could The Shepherd be one of those films we argue about whether it is a Christmas film or not? For me, it can be. Being set on Christmas Eve helps, but it’s a story about hope, good deeds, and magic. John Travolta stars alongside Ben Radcliffe (The Witcher, Masters of the Air) and Steven Mackintosh in this Disney+ short film, based on the 1975 book by Frederick Forsyth. The British short was filmed primarily in Norfolk — fun fact for anyone from there, Travolta was seen walking around getting photos with locals. Jealous.
The story is set on Christmas Eve and surrounds a young pilot (Radcliffe) who when flying home finds himself in peril when his radio and electric power cut out. When all hope is lost, a mysterious good Samaritan (Travolta) guides him to safety.
The Shepherd review and plot summary
This is the second collaboration between producer Cuarón and Disney+ following Le Pupille from director Rohrwacher, which landed a nomination for Best Live-Action Short Film at the 95th Academy Awards. I bet they’ve got their fingers crossed that this will warrant the same, and from the emotion I felt while watching, I’ll be shocked if it doesn’t.
The story as a whole is more supernatural-fantasy than I was expecting — but it’s sweet. The idea that a ghost can be a hero and not something to be feared. That those who were lost in the war were truly lost and still serve a purpose. It is also, then, hope for future pilots — maybe someone will be there to guide you home.
Radcliffe does an excellent job of capturing the fear and despair when you think you’re going to die. I was completely captivated by his compelling performance, and he held my attention and emotions in his hand throughout the film.
It’s a stellar ending, you might be able to guess the twists, but it’s effective nonetheless. There is so much in its simplicity by the excellent execution from the actors.
How does The Shepherd end?
The film is long for a short film, with a 40-minute runtime, but it completely flies by. The last ten minutes see our rescued pilot chatting with an older gentleman called Joe who takes him in. He sits in his life jacket and sees a photo of a man — the man who brought him home. Joe tells him that his savior is, in fact, dead.
A plane then flies overhead and our vampire pilot goes outside to be greeted by his colleagues who have been searching for him. He tells them that an old man put the runway lights on and guided him down — for them to tell him the place is not in use and has been abandoned for years.
The pilot looks up into the sky, and we watch a plane fly through a sunset to orchestral music, accompanied by factual quotes about pilots. A very touching, emotional ending to what was a pleasure to watch.
Is The Shepherd based on a true story?
Whilst the film is based on a book by the same name, Travolta was drawn to the film due to his and his family’s brush with death aboard a jet, which mirrors the events of Disney+’s film adaptation. The writer of the novel, Forsyth, wrote this for his wife as she requested a ghost story to be written for her. Forsyth was a former RAF pilot who could have heard and adapted the story from real events, but there are no references or anecdotal evidence.
What did you think of The Shepherd? Comment below.
