Two friends enjoying a night to themselves realize they're not the only ones in the apartment. “Mean Spirit,” directed by Nick Funess, is a darkly funny snapshot of gossiping pals, bad roommates and getting caught in an awkward situation. While drinking wine one night, one of the friends, played by the film’s co-writer Samantha Carroll, expresses dismay with her new roommate — she writes notes when the dishes don’t get done, and cries herself to sleep because “she’s like a hospice nurse or something.” When the chit-chat is interrupted, the girls head out for cigarettes before returning to the apartment for an unsettling surprise. Writer/star Carroll is a talented director in her own right, responsible for two previous shorts we’ve featured, “Damsel,” and “Toxic,” both incisive portraits of self-absorbed young people. She’s just as astute in front of the camera, alternating between free-flowing shit talk and face-saving cordiality.
A queer sci-fi about 10 aliens in human host bodies learning how to be men. Profound and strangely funny. Directed by Joseph Sackett. Julian Cihi, Will Seefried, Marchánt Davis, Vasile Flutur, Colby Minifie.
In a near-future saturated by technology, Mars introduces Jay to a world outside their company’s confines. “808,” directed by Athina Wilson, is a gritty dystopian vision (shot on 16mm) reckoning with a world lacking in empathy and human touch. Mars is new to the job, a content moderator in a depr...
Two exes whirl through the memories of their relationship in a single glance. Daniel Antebi directs “Unfold,” an elliptical montage of a young couple reliving their recent past after running into each other on the streets of New York. An awkward exchange spins into a flashback of moods and feelin...
