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★★★★
Directed by: Asad Panjwani
Written by: Asad Panjwani
Starring: Abby Mcleod, Asad Panjwani and Nathan Joseph
Short Film Review by: Rachel Pullen
Cheater Film Review
Ah affairs, a fun way to pass the time, cause damage and ruin a collection of people’s lives, for god’s sake just go to a swingers club at least then your significant other can have some fun to. Either way, falling victim to the sexual needs of your genitals can lead to some tragic, as well as comedic events, oh and if you hadn't of clocked on yet, the theme of today’s movie is cheating...yay.
Short film Cheater, written and directed by Asad Panjwani, gets right to the point, and that point is drama. Drama is abounding, as our disgruntled lover holds a gun to the head of his sleeping girlfriend in bed with another man, he is brimming with rage, sadness, and confusion, I mean who is this guy? Why is he snoring so loud? Maybe get him one of those nose strips.
The girlfriend, after waking to a gun in her face (a relaxing way to great the day for sure) tries to calm him down, we feel her frantic energy as she throws excuse after excuse out, we can see her trying to desperately relieve a tense moment...one that is about to get worse.
Once the lover awakes he uses his power brain and convinces the boyfriend that they are adopted brother and sister...yeah, but to everyone’s surprise, including myself, the character falls for it and it’s not long before the pair are able to devise a plan to escape the hostage situation.
The story is obviously familiar, we have all seen the classic cheating scandal play out on soap operas, so we know what to expect, but director Asad Panjwani makes a smart choice to enable his short film to stand out from the drama crowd: the use of comedy.
This short is described as an action-comedy, and while the “action” may be a bit of a descriptive stretch, the comedy is not; this short has some genuine laughs in it, and with excellent timing and execution, Panjwani manages to turn a tense and dramatic moment into an approachable and enjoyable watch.
Despite clearly operating on a small budget, the filmmakers have managed to produce a film that ticks the boxes of quality. Lighting and sound are consistent, acting it a little hammy, but that's kind of the point considering all the action and comedy flying around, and the flow and direction of the story is strong, all making for a fun and enjoyable watch.
Now if you will excuse me, I’m off to my swingers club night.
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