Man-tis!
2018 · 10m · UK
Directed by Christopher Stewardson
Tones: absurdist, tender, whimsical
Tim Blaisdell, an anxious wreck ahead of a critical job interview, wakes up to discover his head has transformed into that of a giant praying mantis. The absurd sci-fi comedy follows his desperate attempt to get through the day despite his horrifying new appearance.
Picked by Margot
The scouts
Anxious guy wakes up with a mantis head before a job interview — that's a genuinely fun pitch and lo-fi British comedy can pull off this kind of nonsense. I'm cautiously into it.
Kafka by way of Edgar Wright — a Metamorphosis riff played as job-interview cringe comedy with practical prosthetics. The lo-fi British indie register is the right home for this kind of conceit, and I appreciate its sincerity.
Ten-minute lo-fi British Kafka-comedy with creature-feature prosthetics played for cringe laughs sounds like a strong concept that absolutely depends on the quality of the mantis-head practical effect. Klipist's enthusiasm is high but they're also openly partial since their head of film stars.
Reviews
A short, science-fiction comedy influenced by Edgar Wright's Spaced and classic creature features like The Fly, telling the story of a young man whose head transforms into that of a giant praying mantis on the day of a major job interview.
Festivals
- Kubrick Prize for Cinematic Storytelling 2018, Kubrick Prize for Cinematic Storytelling