Chris invites an online date to his Brooklyn apartment where it gets off to a rocky start and ends suddenly (kind of). “Lucy in the Morning,” directed by Isaac Cole, is both an admission of the awkwardness and unromantic standards of modern “dating,” and an increasingly tender portrait of two strangers getting to know one another. Both Chris and Lucy lean into some form of irony or detachment as a personality rule, and thus we’re never quite sure what game is being played on which end. After a few objectionable attempts at jokes from Chris, the pair settles in with some Prosecco and chit-chat about jobs. But as the title suggests, what we’re really watching for is the morning after, and that’s when everything shifts. It’s a short that sneaks up on you gradually, accumulating depth with two wonderfully nuanced performances from Raye Levine and Chris Haag, and a lovely, almost mournful ukulele tune bookending the film. -KA. Written and directed by Isaac Cole. Starring Raye Levine and Chris Haag. Cinematography by Marc Katz. Music by Sam Johnson.
Two meandering friends ponder their life choices when they meet a corporate buddy for lunch. “Jeanette is the Dog” is an Australian short directed by Pat Mooney — a casual vignette about home ownership and wealth imbalance (and a dog named Jeanette). Standing on a high-rise rooftop making up name...
An aspiring entrepreneur hires two interns to help him start his online business, if only they could figure out what the company does. “Good Idea,” directed by Marissa Losoya, is a deadpan satire on start-up culture, and a slow-burn character study of a delusional, wannabe boss. The one-man busin...
A group of Alaskan fishermen do everything it takes to stay awake and not crash their boat. “Cold Bull,” directed by Ben Gordon, is a deranged commercial for Red Bull (not really), or a loopy experimental documentary about “living the sweet life” (also not really). It’s the summer and the fishing...
