SHITHEAD
From the Archives
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Comedy, Short Films, 18-Aug-2025
A man with shit for brains struggles to cope with his strange condition. “SHITHEAD” directed by Riley Donigan, follows a young man on the brink of physical and psychological implosion. The opening sequence aptly foreshadows the portrait ahead. A log floats in the toilet while we overhear a phone call between Nate and his burnt out ex-girlfriend. “The last time we talked it was pretty weird, you were just talking about 9-11 the whole time,” she says. Nate, aka Shithead, stares at himself in the mirror while a massive tumor protrudes from his temple, veins splurging and nostrils bleeding. In a session with his therapist, he unloads about the violent videos he’s been watching, his issues with excessive masturbation, and other deep-seated wounds. As he rambles, the therapist falls asleep. We jump into his day-to-day life, witnessing his physical illness and lackluster relationships with his family. Grotesque throughout, oftentimes difficult to watch, the film’s extreme use of symbolism feels appropriate. There’s a believability to it all, considering the current, virulent state of “brain rot,” and also thanks to an outrageously lifelike prosthetic, not to mention the intensely committed performance from one of our favorite actors of the moment, Will Duncan. -JM. Director: Riley Donigan. Producer: Anton Vicente Kliot. Cast: Will Duncan, Orlagh Cassidy, Michael Countryman, Grant Sellars. DP: Taylor Sanghyun Lee. Prosthetic Makeup Artist: Izzi Galindo.
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