As well as boasting an impressive slate of feature films, the 2021 edition of the SXSW festival also boasts a variety of short films —and in this feature I will be covering features from the ‘Midnight Shorts Competition.’ Here at The Movie Buff, I will be covering all 13 films of the ‘Midnight Shorts Competition,’ and 13 reviews of the films will be separated into four different articles with smaller reviews included of each.
For this edition of reviews of the ‘Midnight Shorts Competition,’ I have covered a trio of shorts that have comedy in common. “Flick” has comedy and some horror; “Flex” is mostly surrealist comedy; and “Puss” is a comedy about a woman trying to get laid during the pandemic.
‘Flick’
There’s a saying that I first came across watching “Suite Life of Zack and Cody” that is fitting here: “You can pick your friends, you can pick your nose, but you can’t pick your friend’s nose.” It’s appropriate because “Flick” is about obsession but also about nose-picking, as reclusive college student Richie (Nate Pringle) digs for gold in his nose and finds a booger that he simply cannot flick away.
“Flick” is not for the easily grossed out. I’ll admit, there are times during “Flick” that I was extremely grossed out—mostly because the filmmaking team got the texture of the booger just right. There are times where the short is downright nauseating, too; but that feeling of discomfort and grossness is what I believe Director and Screenwriter Ariel Zengotita intended. For that reason, this succeeds. As well, you should know if you want to watch a film like this when you hear its premise. Personally, this uncomfortable short didn’t end up being my thing, but I can appreciate it.
This booger drives Richie bonkers as he proceeds to trash his dorm room and we catch up with him on day 3 of his ordeal. He’s brought to his breaking point and we see what lengths he is willing to go to be rid of his obsession, and that’s where this gets really creative. Zengotita surely ‘picks’ an interesting way to tell this story of him trying to shake a habit. I think it may arguably be more relatable had it been, say, a popcorn kernel stuck in your tooth because I know if that’s even in my mouth for 10 minutes, let alone three days, I would go mad. The booger choice is more extreme and visually better to express it, and the said bat in the cave looks good.
As well, some of the practical effects of how the booger convincingly burrows into Richie’s finger is strong. It’s all good body horror, although there aren’t many story takeaways by the end of this film as a story about a persistent nose nugget. Still, Zengotita’s love for body horror is evident and some of this is truly uncomfortable. As well, the premise shouts comedy and while there’s a lot of tension here, there are funny moments, especially as he cries in the bathtub and tells the hostile booger, “I’ll do anything you want.” The comedy and discomfort does get a nice balance here.
Grade: C+
‘Flex’
A brief four-minute short out of Sweden directed and written by Josefin Malmén and David Strindberg, “Flex” really just makes you take a look at yourself and want to hit the gym. And as a writer for a site called The Movie Buff, I really need to hit the gym.
Maintaining all the personal pride of muscle heads in films like Michael Bay’s “Pain & Gain,” Calle Bollund plays our main character who flexes for the camera throughout. It’s an experimental short as we’re treated to his thought process. We get under his skin and learn what makes him tick, as the Flexer pays compliments to himself, like that he literally looks like a Greek God. Like all of us, he also has self-doubt. “I may be god enough but am I good enough?” he asks himself.
These observations are really funny in the script. Some of it truly seems like the inner monologue of a body builder you see working out at the gym; folks who are chiseled like gods, and these filmmakers really capture that sense well here. When it gets really experimental with its visuals, it looks neat.
I’m trying to spoil as little as possible, but since this is in the featured image, I’ll mention that at one point there are small versions of this body builder that float around and chant his inner thoughts (“it’s a slippery slope, a slippery slope!”). The sound of their little voices chanting his repeated mantras is so damn funny it makes the four minutes feel so worth it. I could watch a whole short of just the dozen or so small body builders talking to each other using those little voices. Please, Josefin Malmén and David Strindberg, make that the sequel.
Grade: B+
‘Puss’
What I feel to be the most straightforward comedy on this list, Writer and Director Leah Shore’s “Puss” is a short film about a character aptly called Horny Samantha (Sarah Ellen Stephens) who is desperate to get her some loving during the Covid-19 pandemic, but no one wants to risk their health to do the deed. With only her cat for company, Horny Samantha texts people hoping someone will do the irresponsible thing and come over.
“Puss” is immediately funny as we come into the sound of vibrating; and then we’re treated to how she thinks as everything is sexualized, including a cooking show where they keep saying amusing innuendos. Sarah Ellen Stephens is a delight as Samantha, capturing the desperation but also maintaining her charisma as the character throughout. As well, the film has good visual gags, especially a lamp that is covered in breasts. Truly, there has been no more fitting name than Horny Samantha living in an apartment like this.
The pacing of this short is strong and I can safely say I did not expect the direction that this short film went in. It’s totally bonkers and frankly lost me a little bit because it was so strange; and I was enjoying the short’s straightforward comedy, but there are so many points for surprising me. As well, the last couple of minutes make it very clear why this was chosen for the ‘Midnight Shorts Competition.’ I sincerely hope Horny Samantha can have sex safely, soon, because she’s such a likable character and she deserves it.
Grade: B
