'Murphy's Ranch' Review

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Genre: Adventure. Short.

Director: John Michael Riva Jr.

Cast: Hosea Chanchez. Lee Pugsley. Edward Fletcher.

Seen for Slamdance Film Festival 2026.

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The Verdict: A Must-See

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Set to the pulse of an 80s PI show, John Michael Riva’s Murphy’s Ranch is a hip, clever short that ends way too soon. Within its compact runtime, the short film places two working-class adopted brothers against everyone’s favorite villain: Nazis. The dialogue snaps with Shane Black precision, the plotting carries a crisp procedural rhythm, and the overall play suggests a pilot episode that deserves a full season.

Riva writes and directs with assertive flair. Bathed in Los Angeles sunlight, the short evokes the breezy banter of Simon & Simon and the polished urban sprawl of Bosch, while still carving out its own identity. Adopted brothers Nate (Hosea Chanchez) and Asher (Lee Pugsley) work as pool cleaners, though their ease around danger hints that skimming leaves may be something of a cover. When they cross paths with the condescending Mr. Simmons (Edward Fletcher), who intends to drop his adopted son Thomas (Jack Michael Doke) at the infamous – and extremist – Murphy’s Ranch, the film shifts from character comedy to conspiratorial intrigue. Nate and Asher soon suspect that strange things are afoot at the Circle K.

The success of the short rests squarely on the chemistry between Chanchez and Pugsley (fresh off his Slamdance 2025 short Audio Description). Their performances are relaxed yet alert, grounded without losing the playful edge the material requires. Nate could easily tilt into racial indignation, and Asher into impaired comic relief fragility. Instead, both characters feel assured and capable; their bond reflecting a genuine sense of chosen family. That emotional undercurrent gives the story stakes beyond its genre trappings.

Riva stages the action with momentum and clarity, favoring pace over excess. The film’s brevity ultimately becomes its only real drawback. Murphy’s Ranch is polished, charismatic, and confident. As a standalone short, it leaves audiences wanting more, which may be Riva’s smartest move of all.