Shed

Stealing a neighbours shed is an act of petty domestic feuding that not even Homer Simpson could contemplate. It is this bizarre scenario that structures David Esposito’s Shed, a surreal short that riffs on the very concept of ownership.

 

Gilbert (Ryan Crepack) finds his neighbour Arthur (David Esposito) meticulously examining his newly-installed shed. Arthur explains that the shed is actually his, and somehow must have found its way into Gilbert’s Garden. Arthur finds this hard to believe, given that he knows he paid for his new shed (and that importantly, sheds cannot move). The pair begin to argue, attracting the attention of Arthur’s wife Sarah (Gino Esposito Riley), who decides to get to the bottom of the matter.

 

For a lower-budget short film, it is impressive how much depth and atmosphere Shed creates in its sub-5-minute runtime. The film is genuinely funny, as the uncomfortable interaction between 2 neighbours escalates into a full-blown fight despite both seemingly eager not to allow the baffling schism that has emerged between them end in hostility. It also manages to be a touch unnerving – with Arthur’s determination to regain ‘his’ shed a discomforting, and possibly sinister, motivation for a character who begins to give audiences the creeps. It is also surprisingly philosophical on the concept of ownership – with Arthur raising some abstract (if not necessarily convincing…) arguments about possession relating to the claims of ownership on mobile phones.

 

The film builds it suburban surrealness with an understated staging through the first half of the film, with the co-directors (and stars) allowing the dialogue to take centre stage with simple framing on the feuding neighbours. The lack of score, monochrome overlay and back-and-forth interaction make the debate feel like a dour, pedestrian squabble. But this contrasts brilliantly with the off-putting, abstract content of the dialogue itself. When the argument escalates, and the film threatens to become a kung-fu spectacular, the direction steps up in complexity – only to re-emphasise the humdrum nature of the two men in one of the films biggest laugh-inducing moments.

 

Esposito and Crepack have a workable chemistry that best operates when the dry, simmering conflict is bubbling under the surface. Two seemingly normal neighbours growing incredulously frustrated with one another, each convinced they are in the right, is a straightforward but relatable domestic predicament. At its best, the film has echoes of Always Sunny, or similar irreverent comedies that implant the odd into the mundane. There are rough edges to both men’s performances, but none are significant or sufficient to really damage viewer immersion – and for a quick comedy short there is a certain charm added regardless.

 

Shed is unquestionably odd, and is a little limited by its very short runtime. But this interesting snapshot into a domestic squabble has interesting framing and more than enough quirks to make it entertaining.