5. A Reasonable Request
https://vimeo.com/130730908#at=452 A world away from Disney here: feted commercial director Andrew Laurich debuted his hilarious, perfectly-judged eight-minute single scene short in May this year, starring John Ennis as a deadbeat dad meeting up with his estranged son (played by Stephen Ellis), who has an unusual favour to ask his old man. Without giving anything away if youve not watched it yet, its a one-note two-hander, set firmly in the cringe comedy subgenre. Laurich, Ennis and Ellis ingeniously stretch their flimsy premise to its logical conclusion right up until the final minute, when they unexpectedly, magnificently wring pathos from the set-up only to smoothly bring it back again with the final two lines. If youre wondering where youve heard Laurichs name before, hes the inspiration behind songwriter Rob Cantors viral video hit of last year,
Shia LaBeouf, about the trainwreck Hollywood star turned woods-dwelling cannibal psychopath.