Latest Short Film Reviews

Crab Cake Kid is a short film written by and starring the York comedian Rob Auton. It’s an incredibly well written and crafted film that is as funny as it is touching.

The film follows Auton as he narrates a story surrounding his first job at aged sixteen working as a chef. He recounts stories of drug taking, camaraderie and bullying which will be familiar to anyone with experience working in kitchens. The centrepiece of these stories is Auton as the Crab Cake Kid who has become a cult like figure due to his special recipe for making crab cakes.

The standout of this short film is certainly Auton himself. It’s evident he’s an established comedian with plenty of experience writing comedy and performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. This film is not so dissimilar from seeing one of his shows at the festival or listening to him tell a comedic story in the corner of a pub and this is due to how the short film’s narration is framed.

Director Kirill Teslia alongside writer Auton, create this film quite unconventionally. Within the first 30 seconds of the film, there is a fourth wall break as Auton narrates to the audience these stories of his kitchen experience. This creates an intimate viewing experience where it feels as though Auton is directly speaking to the viewer.

As a comedian, it’s no surprise that the comedy of this film is particularly strong. From an early scene where Auton describes cling film as ‘the ghost of tin foil’ to the revelation of the secret ingredient that’s in the crab cake, viewers will find themselves laughing at many points throughout the film.

That being said, there is also an understanding that this kitchen environment isn’t all fun and games. The 90s banter often tips over into bullying especially with the head chef (Luke McQueen) who makes 16 year old Auton clean the floor in his bare feet and gives him his first gram of weed. There is a satisfying end to the chef’s tenure at the kitchen that involves an off piece of Sea Bass which is one of the highlights of the film.

The direction and editing of the film, both done by Teslia, are areas that are definitely worthy of note. The opening scene, for example, where each item that makes up the crab cake are laid out on a metal table while an intense jazz score creates tension, is something that wouldn’t look out of place in Boiling Point or The Bear.

The only small gripe I have with this film is purely a selfish one, I would like more of it. There are moments that I feel could be expanded a little further, not necessarily for a full feature length film but perhaps a few minutes extra to the 13 minute run time. The bulk of the film’s flashbacks are spent in 1996 and it would have been nice to spend more time in 1998 where Auton is a more established chef.

Altogether, Crab Cake Kid is an incredibly humorous film that is reflective of Auton’s deadpan Yorkshire humour. It’s a familiar story while being distinctive in its directorial choices and it provides its own critique on toxic kitchen environments. Crab Cake Kid is being shown at the Aesthetica Film Festival in York and it’s well worth seeing for anyone that values comedy in film.

Mr A: Genesis is a comedic drama and follows Ayotunde “Mr A” Akinlade (Noah Olaoye), a 27-year-old English teacher and pastor navigating life between the lively chaos of a secondary school classroom and a Black-majority church in Liverpool. The narrative follows Ayo’s struggles with self-doubt and his journey to overcome it and find his purpose.

One of the most awe-inspiring aspects of Mr A: Genesis is its themes of faith and identity. Sadly, stories about young Black British-Nigerian men remain rare outside of London, so setting the film in Liverpool feels incredibly uplifting. Elevating voices and talent from underrepresented individuals outside London is so important, and the film’s sense of community helps it to feel personal in that respect. The film feels incredibly lived-in with its distinct setting, and it's refreshing to see the perspective of a young Black Scouse individual navigating his struggles with identity and self-doubt. From the opening frame to the end, the filmmaking creates unease and firmly places the audience in the central character’s point of view. It's an incredibly engaging experience, as the film seamlessly shifts from the pressure of Ayo leading his church’s 30th-anniversary service to his interactions with his students.

It's immediately effortless to become invested in Ayo’s life and sympathise with his struggles thanks to his heartwarming personality and journey to leadership. The church community and other teachers within the narrative put profound pressure on him to conform to societal norms, and his unique teaching style is awe-inspiring. Despite the initial lack of characterisation, by the film's conclusion, the audience is confronted with the personal and profound struggles Ayo has learned to overcome. That said, the brisk runtime is a detriment to the experience, as the narrative isn’t given enough breathing room to flesh out the themes of faith and identity. While the narrative presents these ideas in an engaging way, it is never given enough time to fully interrogate them.

From a technical perspective, the film is incredibly creative with its camerawork and inventive editing choices. Steven Wyn Owen serves as the film's cinematographer, and utilises a mix of wide shots and extreme close-ups when venturing into Ayo’s point-of-view. It's an incredibly evocative choice as it feels intimate and personal, allowing the viewer to become invested in his character’s arc throughout. This is accompanied by the frenetic editing that seamlessly transitions from Ayo in the midst of teaching to leading the service for his church. Ayo’s role of leadership is a primary theme throughout and executed profoundly through the film's technical prowess.

The ensemble performances are terrific throughout, with a compelling lead performance from Noah Olaoye as Mr. A. His performance exudes tenderness while balancing the comedic and dramatic tone of the script profoundly; it's a wonderful turn from Noah Olaoye that feels personal and uplifting. The supporting players, including the child performances, are also fantastic, and the chemistry between each cast member feels natural.

However, outside of Ayo’s character arc being executed to its fullest, the narrative isn't given enough time to explore the supporting characters. Sadly, the conclusion to the narrative doesn't feel entirely earned and would have benefited from a more prolonged runtime to build on the supporting characters and their role in Ayo’s growth.

Mr A: Genesis is an inspiring tale of self-doubt and having the confidence to believe in oneself. Despite its flaws, the film possesses a terrific lead performance from Noah Olaoye and an inspiring message. Mr A: Genesis is a flawed yet endearing piece of indie filmmaking.

An low-budget yet ambitious short film released in 2023, Blood & Lust was directed by Patrick Eichner and written by George Firewalker Carlson. The plot synopsis provided for this 37-minute short reads “Gus fills the empty void in his soul with sex, drugs and gambling, he's spiralling out of control. His tendency for self-destruction becomes a question for survival when one faithful night he's faced with unspeakable terror and is stalked by a bevy of beautiful creatures of the night.” Immediately that sounds pretty bizarre, but it looks very standard when compared to the film itself – viewers may still be surprised by where it ends up going despite the ridiculous setup.

When looking at films that are this low-budget and independent, it’s important to acknowledge and praise what the filmmakers are able to do with limited resources, even if the film has the shortcomings that are often seen in similar pieces of work. With this in mind, Blood & Lust has some genuinely admirable elements. It’s difficult to deny that it feels like the people involved are actually trying, and that the filmmakers have some interesting ideas that are difficult to fully expand on in a film that is so short. Most of the actors do their best, there are some interesting moments visually, and the costumes and sets are solid where it matters. The film eventually becomes so outlandish that it’s difficult not to respect it. It does feel like Eichner was doing his best to bring a story he was passionate about to life. However, it is also true that Blood & Lust does is littered with those previously mentioned shortcomings. There are editing issues, the sound mixing is rough with some dialogue that is hard to hear, and there’s a general feeling that the film can’t cover or expand upon everything that it wants to with such a short length.

It’s not particularly easy to make sense of everything here. It feels like the film may be trying to make a point about addiction, and the consequences of self-destructive behaviour (the film’s tagline “how far is too far?” further suggests this). The problem is that the film itself isn’t compelling. The writing isn’t strong enough, the characters are basic, and it does unfortunately feel too limited. As a result, it’s difficult to care about its themes and ideas when you don’t care about the rest of it.

Blood & Lust isn’t a complete failure, and again, it feels like the people involved were doing their best with what they had – which is always admirable. I wouldn’t call it a complete waste of thirty-seven minutes. But it’s undeniably flawed and mainly just leaves you wondering what these filmmakers could do with a bigger budget, a stronger script, better actors, and a longer runtime.

FREUD (2025) is a German student-led project written and directed by Ruben Leander Bühring. The psychological drama follows Maya, a young girl struggling with her mental health; she is seen discussing ‘the voices’ in a therapy session. This storyline intercuts with another: a court hearing in which charges are brought against a therapy provider. It is revealed that the therapy provider (FREUD) is an AI database that predicted from Maya’s behaviour that she may commit a crime. In an attempt to protect others, the company gives Maya a fatal pill, killing her almost immediately.

The predictions of the machine have severe consequences and can prompt the audience to reflect on just how much responsibility AI will have in the future. The idea behind this film was unique and interesting. It definitely gets you thinking about how the protection of others can sacrifice another. It is a complex play on very engaging questions such as: can we trust machines to play God?

The links between the two narratives gain more and more clarity throughout, with the court scenes almost providing narration for the entirety of the film. This helps make the tale much easier to understand for viewers.

Without underestimating the time and budget restrictions of a student short film, I would have liked more backstory for the main character, Maya (played by Eva Marlen Hirschburger). Her demise was quick and not emotional at all because the audience did not get to know her. Small details to make her seem more human (like seeing her in more positive moments or seeing the people who care about her) would have increased empathy after her death and promoted more connection from viewers to the story.

I also think adding more human elements would have created an even deeper battle between society and machines (emotion vs analytics).

The stark contrast between the red and black colours used on the title card and credits was very aesthetically pleasing and fitting for the narrative of the film. I also appreciated the fisheye effect and thought this was used perfectly. The music worked in unison with the ebbs and flows of the tension curated in the project. I also appreciated the sound effect timed with protagonist Maya opening her eyes; the small details added so much atmosphere.

Overall, the production value was high, with clean and professional cinematography, beautiful shot compositions and an array of confident actors. The narrative touched on a multitude of themes and asked captivating questions of the audience. I would have loved to have seen the conclusion of the court and I think this idea has the potential to be reworked to fit a longer format.

Voyeurism in the modern age is a lot easier. Personal devices have made it incredibly easy to spy on people. Short film The Idea revisits classic voyeurism, however, exploring the intrusive nature of a couple spying on their younger neighbours and how this impacts their own mental states.

Directed by Henry Chastain and adapted from the original short story by Raymond Carver, The Idea feels immediately perverse and uncomfortable for the viewer. Our couple (played brilliantly by Melora Walters and Dar Dixon) sit by their window in the dark and watch as a man across the street peers in and watches a woman get undressed. Voyeurs watching a voyeur, then, the movie moves on to display how angered Walters’ character is at the woman across the street. She seems completely put out by the neighbour and threatens to confront her in public.

What’s immediately arresting about The Idea is the routine nature of what’s going on. The fact that this couple can regularly sit by their window and observe their (younger) neighbours going about an odd and intimate habit stirs something disquieting for the viewer. The layered voyeurism seems frankly bizarre when watched as a dramatised short film, and yet this type of behaviour is commonplace, nay, encouraged, on social media.

Seeing the impact on the central character also makes for uneasy viewing. She seems a little off-kilter, and the one-sided hatred that festers within her towards her unsuspecting neighbour is, again, an incredibly powerful parallel of our modern tendencies.

The film version of the story is set in the 1990s (a wonderful pre-smartphone era), and the mise-en-scene is beautifully rendered to immerse the audience in the time period. The couple’s home feels like every sitcom from that era you watched, and yet the tense atmosphere created feels far more akin to a psychological thriller. This wonderful juxtaposition creates a lasting impression on viewers.

Melora Walters (whose credits include Boogie Nights, Magnolia, and Dead Poets Society) delivers a powerhouse performance and does the majority of the heavy lifting for The Idea. Her character experiences emotional migration from mild curiosity through to full-on paranoia in a short space of time, and Walters executes this beautifully in her performance. Dar Dixon also provides a nice counterbalance to the proceedings, offering an aloof co-conspirator whose grasp on his wife’s mental state is tenuous.

The third act of the film suffers from a pacing issue, and the story doesn’t really serve up the gut-punch the audience may think is coming. Whilst the connotations linger, it’s a shame something more cinematic and exciting isn’t brought in. That being said, The Idea focuses more on the internal struggle for our characters and how their viewing habits have shaped their emotional states.

We step into Pete’s (Edmund C. Short) tumultuous world. After the loss of his mother and infidelity from his fiancé, we follow Pete’s isolation and wallowing. Until a figment of his imagination begins to spark joy and meaning once again.

Pete is trying to find his feet amidst the chaos in his life. We find out about his mother’s passing as he rifles through boxes he is still yet to unpack. After watching through his mother’s Audrey Hepburn film collection, he wakes up to find Audrey (Kendal Brenneman) in his house. Understandably feeling confused and no longer sane, Pete tries to get a grip on his life.

The film touches on a variety of emotions: grief, self-pity, and the idea of having your life on hold. Audrey acts as Pete’s escapism from the real world, helping to unpack his feelings and life moving forward. When in actual fact, it’s Pete trying to help himself. It’s a relatable experience for most in terms of feeling stuck and being uncertain of the future. It’s done in a palatable way, verging on a romantic comedy.

Both of the leads bounce off each other in a playful, comedic way. The standout performance is by Kendal Brenneman; it feels as though she’s studied Audrey’s mannerisms, vocal inflections, and little quirks. That, paired with the extensive wardrobe and accurate hair and makeup, make for a believable portrayal. For such a big icon, Kendal takes on this beast with grace and elegance.

The standout aspects of the film come from the artistic direction and aesthetics. Set against a stunning Paris backdrop as the pair wander around, everything feels clean, refreshing, and mirrors Pete’s new lease on life since Audrey appears. The costume department really nails the signature looks of Audrey and throws us right back in time. Any old-school cinema lover will love the look and feel of this short.

Time is what Pete is so hung up about, living in feelings of the past, and whilst nostalgia is fun to relive, it’s a lesson in trying to progress towards a future. It’s evident in a scene between them both where Audrey states ‘if you don’t eat your ice cream, it’s going to melt away’ whilst she means it literally and in a comedic sense; Pete sees it as a metaphor for his own life. A playful quote that we can all take into our own lives.

Overall, the short captures the melancholy and sentimentality of time passing by. With a short run time, it doesn’t manage to grip the audience any deeper than surface level. That being said, it works as a short, fun-filled comedy and is an entertaining watch. Just for the costume changes alone, the visual elements are striking and fulfil each scene.

Dating Audrey has picked up 19 wins and 14 nominations, including Best Comedy at the 27th Annual FirstGlance Film Festival in Philadelphia.

Patrick Eichner’s “The Transaction”, created in 2020, follows Jane (Audrey Coletti), a sex worker, as she struggles to navigate her current lifestyle working under her abusive partner/pimp, John (Thomas Gipson). Amidst this personal barrier, one particular client (a cameo from Patrick Eichner himself) engages in a conversational transaction with John in a cafe, who contains more in store than John’s run-of-the-mill purchasers. The short, through one 18-minute anecdote, compacts numerous horrific normalities of this industry explored between these three characters.

John’s aggressive behaviour and language towards Jane provides a commentary on the pressure typically placed upon these workers and the power perceived of those who work above them (mostly manipulative men who make unlikely promises, as John does here). These two match the gender stereotypes that divide the labor efforts here; men should be the “muscle” as John and his blade make clear, and women should be the promiscuous “prize”, reinforced by the staring and catcalling Jane receives in the opening scene. The ignorance against Jane’s wishes to level up their scheme by forming a more personal connection with clients also reflects a common desire to level up at the expense of worker’s mental and physical health. It is not uncommon for these clients to breach the agreed dealing, hence the “frisk” carried out by John on the current client for anything suspicious and Jane’s direct reference to a previous incident involving non-consensual choking. Jane’s drug usage also explores a common issue prevalent in sex workers as they are often a cheap mental escape from the trauma that can be faced during work, however, this in turn creates more abuse and a pressure to get sober for the sake of higher income. Whilst the client appears to be a cliché white collar middle aged worker desperate for an easy satisfaction outlet, however his true intentions lead to a shocking twist. This ending ultimately represents how lots of these transactions in the real world can end: with damaged relationships, people getting hurt, but also (ironically), a sense of relief for at least one person involved.

The short film underwent a successful festival circuit across 2020/21, permitting Thomas Gipson to win best drama actor at the 2021 Brightside Tavern Film Festival, New Jersey. Alongside his director role, Patrick Eichner also produced and edited the project. Writer and cinematographer George Firewalker Carlson’s company, Firewalker’s Dreams & Images, also oversaw production of the film. Outside shots are unapologetically dark and grungy, foiled by the warm and inviting setting of the cafe, suggesting that at face value, customers are in for a good time without ever having to look behind the nightmarish curtain.

This short is no doubt a difficult watch and a caution should be given to those who may be able to relate or triggered by the subject material. That being said, the content provides a detailed view into what lies beneath the surface of a what attempts to mask as a strictly pleasurable industry. If it were only possible to apply the key underlying message of “The Transaction” globally, thousands of workers, or those close enough to soak in the effects, could be saved from the inflictive demand created in the world of sex work.

Written and directed by Deborah Puette, Such A Pretty Girl follows Meg having returned to her childhood home to care for her elderly father. Meg faces an impossible choice when her 12 year old child, Finn, discovers a long-buried relic from her past. With mere moments to decide, Meg must choose between protecting her father’s comfort and supporting her child.

The short opens to soft imagery and a cozy soundscape. It’s pleasant. Maybe too pleasant. These suspicions are confirmed when the almost infantile music is jarringly interrupted by Meg’s entrance, whereupon she finds Finn wearing her old dress. This is an excellent showcase of subversion straight off the bat. Within the first 6 (long) seconds of Meg stepping in, unfolds a wordless interaction that could fill an entire short-film of its own, with Meg visibly scrambling to figure out how to react and Finn feeling caught in the act. This moment will surely be a point of universal relatability, even if not the specifics, then the identifiable feelings of not knowing how to handle an unexpected situation with a loved one.

The tone is captured remarkably by director of photography Katharine White, who chooses the sophisticated approach by letting the camera linger on each moment, electing for sparse yet meticulously composed shots as opposed to fast-paced visual flourishes. With a 4:3 aspect ratio, White and Puette box us into the claustrophobic emotional situation along with the characters.

Speaking of the characters, not only are all three central performances from Sarah Drew (Meg), Harry Groener (Frank) and Cole Moreno (Finn) sensitively conveyed, but the material in which they are given speaks to each character without explicitly stating anything out of the ordinary, subtly weaving invisible exposition into the dialogue. Through this, we are provided reasoning to the social pressures both Meg and Finn may be experiencing. Whether it be Frank making gender-conforming remarks such as “men wear ties”, or the inference that they come from a traditional religious family.

Furthermore each character is represented with an empathetic innocence from Puette. Even Frank who represents the majority of the conflict throughout the piece is presented as ignorant rather than purposefully cruel.

Despite the high quality of the film in its entirety, the ending feels just a little bit too neat and easy, almost coming off like the definitive end of this situation rather than an optimistic start on a long road of trials for Finn. However, even with this, it is hard to deny that the ending is heartwarming. Viewers will also be endeared to know that this film was created from the writer’s first hand experience of watching her own daughter’s journey through transitioning, a fact that deepens the emotional effect of this tale.

There are no villains here. Such A Pretty Girl is drawn straight from the heart with a refreshing empathy and unwavering grace with its mature writing style that leaves the audience alone, allowing the brilliant central performances to do the emotional storytelling.

This short acts as a proof of concept for an upcoming feature version. Writer/ director Deborah Puette offers this work “in honor of all the incredible Finns in the world for their deep bravery and commitment to being truly themselves.”

An entrepreneurial young woman experiences first-hand the nightmarish pain of being in an abusive relationship.

Skyrim (Javed) is in fashion. She’s directing a photoshoot, handling things as the flashbulbs pop, and she looks great. Her friend and colleague, Barbara (Skorupa), is also there, doing fashion, and she also looks great, except for maybe a bit too much make-up today, around one eye. It was just a clumsy accident, Barbara says, ‘I Had A Fall.’

Except that Sybelle Cheesman and Jobe Wolf’s new short film isn’t just about how Barbara is living with the painful truth behind her black-eye. ‘I Had A Fall’ is about every one of the 1 in 4 women in the UK who experience some form of domestic abuse, and it’s Skyrim who’s going to tell us her story.

Back at home, Skyrim is not the fashion star that she is at work. Her partner, Clive (Perry) is more interested in hanging out with his work buddy Steve, than he is in staying at home with her. Steve just so happens to be Barbara’s man, and he’s been giving Clive pointers recently about how to keep his relationship just the way he likes it, with no drama. Skyrim tries her best to love her man, but he’s too caught up on the train of toxic masculinity to see anything in front of him but red.

In an all too familiar story, we find that the lessons of the Manosphere, and the pervasive sociopathic practices of the Tate brothers and other low-life PUA’s, offer Clive a grasping at control that he thought he might never have. In Cheesman and Wolf’s script, we are faced with some very bare dialogue which cuts right to the bone, and which scars quickly. The tension and the aggression are palpable in every scene, but ever so mildly guarded, to keep Skyrim believing that she is in a loving relationship that just needs some help, and we are brought along with her, all the way to the end.

The violence is shocking, as it should be, and the direction from Wolf puts us right where the words and actions have the most impact. In every moment we see how she loves him, and in every moment together we see how he convinces himself to hate her. We are close in with the couple throughout the film, and the intimate spaces keep us with the characters to feel every bite in every word, and every sting in every touch.

As the foreboding increases, Wolf chooses certain moments to ratchet up the stakes, and we are thrust from safe and comfortable, to survival, very quickly, as Clive’s behaviour deteriorates. The sound design is used effectively to mark out these moments, with El Rashid’s score underlining the danger and the gut-wrenching that comes with the breakdown of security in a relationship, while Nadia Javed and Laurence Hezili Perry’s strong performances ground the characters as very real people.

‘I Had A Fall’ is not a film for those who are afraid to face up to hard truths. If 1 in 4 women are experiencing domestic abuse, then both Skyrim and Barbara’s stories are true, as well as countless others. Here we are shown in intimate detail how that comes about, and how traumatic it is when it happens. Cheesman and Wolf do not shy away from dealing with the realities of very difficult situations, and in so doing, encourage the audience to raise their awareness of the women in their lives, too.

‘I Had A Fall’ stands strong as testament to what women live every day in the UK, and worse the world over, and makes a point of making you look at what you don’t want to see, when you know that statistically, you’re probably seeing it at some point in some of the people around you. There’s a strong message, and a strong call for solidarity through watching this film, for anyone who might turn up one day to say, ‘I Had A Fall.’

A short war drama directed by Toby Kearton, written by Kearton and Kari Liljendal and starring Ryan Hayes, Benjamin Schnau and Dean Ridge.

Before describing the plot, just explaining that ''kamerad'' is a German word that can mean comrade or friend and it was also a cry for surrender by German soldiers during the First World War.

And this story does take place during this historical global conflict, the year is 1918 and the location is Marcoing France, at a battlefield, in a crater. Tandey (Hayes), a British soldier engages in a desperate hand-to-hand fight with a German soldier (Ridge). After Tandey kills him, another one (Schnau) appears, only this one is wounded. Tandey points his rifle at him, contemplating what to do.

What makes this short memorable in comparison to other war films is the revelation in the end. It is quite an astonishing moment and motivated the writer of this review to look it up. What the revelation is about will not be disclosed here, however, it should be pointed out that via a title card at the beginning, the film acknowledges that even though the story of based on true events, the event depicted in the film may or may not be true. Nevertheless, this short utilises this alleged occurrence to create a disclosure that leaves the viewer stunned. Whether it is true or not, it has quite an impact as it is an intriguing theory.

Looking at the technical side of things, the film looks great, experctly directed by Kearton, with superb cinematography by Lou Murrall. The mise-en-scene effectively brings the story to a WWI combat zone, with convincing weaponry and uniforms and the dramatic music adds to the atmosphere.

It is worth noting the presence of a butterfly. The butterfly appears just when a major decision is about to be made. The appearance of the butterfly is an obvious nod to the butterfly effect, a concept that theorises that actions can lead to unpredictable consequences of massive magnitude and that would be rather appropriate here.

Hayes plays a man who actually existed and fought during the World War Two, Henry James Tandey, who at age 27 was awarded the Victoria Cross, Britain's highest award for gallantry in the presence of the enemy. Hayes portrays him as an experienced soldier who can do his duty in the war zone and has a strong understanding of morality.

Heavy drama, tension and suspense dominate this short story that deals with war, survival, mercy and morality. The revelation is evidently in regards to the notion that in war, no good deed goes unpunished.

This film deserves five stars because of the strong acting, the high quality of the filmmaking, the fact that it revolves around an alleged encounter of massive significance and because it pays homage to Henry James Tandey.