A young woman resurrects her Dungeons & Dragons alter ego after a breakup.


MORNING IS BROKEN is used with permission from D. Matthew Beyer and Paul Stafford. Learn more at https://chloebaldwin.net.


Izzy is depressed. She's gone through a devastating breakup, one that not only broke her heart but also the friend group that she once happily played Dungeons & Dragons with.

Not only is Izzy stuck in life, but in the imaginative realm of D&D, her alter ego Morwenna Morningsong is also frozen in a game that may never end. Izzy must summon all her imagination as well as the help of a true friend to get herself and her inner heroine unstuck in life.

Directed by D. Matthew Beyer and Paul Stafford from a script written by Beyer, this quirky yet heartfelt fantasydrama short takes the familiar territory of a postbreakup narrative and puts a whimsical spin on it, connecting viewers to their inner bravery and courage and offering a wry paean to the beloved roleplaying game. Adroit in its portrayal of its fantasy and sincere in its evocation of difficult emotions and mental landscapes, it finds a compelling balance of tones and styles, making for a unique watch and a fresh take.

The film opens with a highfantasy opening, full of action and movement as a voiceover tells of a warrior named Morwenna and her heroics, captured in flashy camerawork and editing. But when a villager approaches in an appeal for help, Morwenna is unresponsive. Then, in a cut to "real life," we see the same woman in a more quotidian, modern setting, dragging herself out of bed in a depressed postbreakup stupor. The visuals are plainspoken and muted, as if drained of life, making it clear that Izzy and Morwenna are connected, and neither are in a good spot.

The storytelling deftly brings the fantasy elements to life the fight scenes are especially a highlight but it has deeper resonance because it recognizes how breakups can have widereaching ripple effects. People lose friends connected to their former lovers, and the social infrastructure of their lives can collapse in other ways. This is true for Izzy, but when she finds an old gameplaying sheet, she decides to seek out Ezra, and a friend from her old group, and finish the story of her alterego Morwenna Morningsong.

Actor Chloe Baldwin is understated and subtle as Izzy, playing her depression with a believable patina of inertia. But she also has an innate strength and toughness, one that she marshals when her alterego's story continues. Though the "resurrection" is in the fantasy realm, the healing also happens for Izzy in the everyday one.

Part of that is the return to something Izzy loves. But there's also the reconnection to Ezra, played by actor Adam Wesley Brown, who bridges both the formality of the fantasy and the lowkey joviality of the everyday world. It could be a riff on the eternal sidekick role, but Ezra proves himself more he is a true friend, one who is there to help Izzy take her first steps to reclaim her life for herself. We unfortunately never see Morwenna take on her climactic battle at the end of MORNING IS BROKEN, but we do know Izzy has slayed the dragon of postbreakup malaise, moving forward into new territory to conquer and defend.