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A heartfelt journey through film: Luke Barnett’s emotional short
A message from the past
A few years ago, actor and filmmaker Luke Barnett received an unexpected message that would change his life. Despite it being two decades since his mother’s passing, Barnett was sent a YouTube link by an unknown number. The link led to a video of his mother, recorded when he was just 16, expressing her pride in him. This video, discovered on an old VHS tape by a friend’s father, was particularly poignant for Barnett, who had few photos and no videos of his mother.
“The video really shook me up,” Barnett recalls. “It took me back to my last conversation with my mom. She was in the hospital, in a coma, and they let me go in one last time.” At 17, this final visit felt more like a confession. “From talking to people years later, I learned that this is a very common thing,” he says. This revelation sparked an idea in Barnett’s mind: what if you could have one last conversation with a loved one? This concept became the foundation for his short film, The Crossing Over Express.
Crafting a universal story
Barnett’s short film, inspired by his personal experience, struck a chord with many. The Crossing Over Express garnered over half a million views within the first 72 hours of its release on X. The film stars Barnett as a man who pays a doctor-like figure, played by Emmy nominee Dot-Marie Jones from “Glee,” to raise the dead for two minutes at a time. The film is a blend of melancholy and humor, offering a thoughtful meditation on a deeply personal yet universal experience.
Barnett co-wrote and directed the film with his friend Tanner Thomason, with whom he has collaborated on several projects, including the 2020 film Faith Based. Their creative partnership dates back to their days serving drinks at NoBar in North Hollywood. “Not only do I know the guy’s creative sensibilities, I know his drink order,” Thomason quips. When Barnett shared his story, Thomason immediately saw its potential. “First, it hit me in the gut, and I knew in that moment this was going to leave an impact on him.”
Taking the director’s chair
Initially, Barnett considered asking someone else to direct the film. “But the story is so personal that I started imagining myself next to the monitor, annoying the hell out of whoever I asked,” he admits. Ultimately, he decided to take the leap, with Thomason by his side. “Tanner is one of my best friends and someone I love writing with, so it made sense to ask him to do it with me. He has great instincts and ideas. I also knew he’d tell me if my performance wasn’t coming off as honest.”
The 11-minute short was shot in a single day in Los Angeles on a “nearly non-existent budget,” with a skeleton crew of talented friends who believed in the project. Despite the tight schedule and personal stakes, Thomason describes the experience as stressful “but in the best way.” He adds, “Not only are you trying to just execute the day and the plan you both agreed on, but you also want to find a way to give your friend the space and time to push their performance to the next level.”
A surprising reception
The Crossing Over Express played at several film festivals, though it didn’t make it into any that could significantly boost Barnett’s career. However, its release on YouTube via Short of the Week and later on X brought it to a wider audience. “I woke up the next day to hundreds of messages of people telling me how much it affected them,” Barnett says.
The response has been overwhelming and unexpected. “We hoped of course, but you never know,” Barnett reflects. “I think we knew we were onto something, in terms of it being a feeling a big audience might relate to, but we also wanted to put a sort of offbeat, darkly comedic spin on it. That can be a hard line to ride, and we were a bit nervous it wouldn’t work. This was my first time directing, so to have directors I’ve admired for many years tweeting about it… I’m a bit floored, to be honest.”
Looking ahead
The Crossing Over Express is now being developed as a series pitch for production companies. While Barnett and Thomason are open to the idea of a feature film, the responses have led them to believe it would work best as a series.
Barnett, who initially quit acting in 2012 to focus on writing, has found new opportunities through his work. His film Faith Based, which starred Jason Alexander, Margaret Cho, and Lance Reddick, led him to his manager, who encouraged him to return to acting. He now enjoys a recurring role on the Apple TV+ series For All Mankind. “I’m a big believer in creating your own opportunities. I don’t want to wait for someone to choose me,” Barnett says. “As happy as I am with the roles I’ve been given, I really wanted to show people what I was capable of. I don’t know that I succeeded in that, and time will tell how many casting directors, directors, or showrunners see the short, but I can say it’s the proudest I’ve ever been of a performance.”
Barnett still treasures the video of his mother, watching it right before filming the short. “Anything that comes from this short, acting-wise, I owe to her and my friend Jon’s dad, who sent it to me.”
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