Elderflower
2018 · 14m · UK
Directed by Ben Mallaby
Tones: darkly comic, humorous, whimsical
Emily opens her dream florist shop in Hackney, only to discover the location used to be a front for an entirely different business — a brothel run by a gang of very enterprising 70+ year-old women who'd very much like her to keep up the family trade.
Picked by Felix
The scouts
The setup screams cozy rom-com — and then a cartel of septuagenarian sex workers casually materialize to reclaim their turf. Mallaby's doing something genuinely subversive here: using the genteel veneer of a florist shop to sneak in a premise that shouldn't work but somehow becomes the most honest thing on screen.
Elderflower sits comfortably in the tradition of British comedy-of-manners, but what could've been a tidy ensemble piece instead commits to tonal dissonance with formal precision — the editing restraint and deadpan dialogue choices elevate what's fundamentally a silly premise into something that earns its contradictions.
The entire film hinges on one decision: playing the pensioner gangsters as completely unsentimental and matter-of-fact about their business, never winking at the audience. That single tonal choice transforms a micro-budget comedy from novelty into something genuinely sharp and alive.
Reviews
A charming British short that perfectly balances its darker themes with romance — one of Mallaby's most accessible shorts so far and is a real crowd pleaser.
Lou Sanders' film Elderflower chosen as Vimeo Short of the Week.
Festivals
- Vimeo Staff Picks / Short of the Week 2018, Featured Selection