The best, most satisfying endings are surprising yet inevitable. This Australian 8-minute short, first published to YouTube in 2007, has been stuck in my head since I first laid eyes on it. It’s a disarmingly intimate, authentic look inside a young couple’s strained relationship. And at first glance, it appears we’re just getting an honest, unflinching slice-of-life episode from the couple’s day-to-day. But there’s great economy of storytelling here: the banter, as well as the low-budget cinematography, all work together to set the stage and our expectations so that in the end, there’s maximum impact.
This review originally appeared in the Austin School of Film’s recommendations blog, MIX/VHS. Check out the full post here, which includes reviews of Blade Runner 2049 and a gorgeous animated short involving rabbits and World War I.