Tall Dark and Handsome
2023 · 14m · UK
Directed by Sam Baron
Tones: absurdist, darkly comic, humorous, tender
Varun discovers his girlfriend has a history of dating Indian men and spirals into insecurity, unable to shake the feeling that he might be a racial type rather than an individual choice. The film is a sharp comedy about fetishism, identity, and self-sabotage in interracial relationships.
Picked by Margot
The scouts
Racial fetishism as British rom-com material — yes, finally someone making 'am I a type' funny instead of an essay. Four Weddings comp is a flex, but Amit Shah can carry it.
Racial fetishism inside a British rom-com is delicate territory, but Amit Shah's performance and the Big Sick comparison suggest Baron's trilogy is doing the unflashy work of cross-cultural specificity. A respectable execution of a familiar register.
Amit Shah co-writing and starring in his own racial-fetishism comedy of manners — the personal stake is what keeps the topic from going thesis-y, and 14 minutes is the right British-sitcom runtime for it. Palm Springs nominee, Indian Film Festival of LA audience win; the comedy is landing.
Reviews
Baron and Shah didn't invent the comedy of stiff, British awkwardness but with Tall Dark and Handsome, they have levelled up the game by finessing it into an art form that touches the soul. And like any great piece of art, it will stand the test of time.
Tall Dark and Handsome serves up a hilarious commentary on fetishism, self-sabotage and everything in between, and the result is a flawless recipe that simultaneously tickles the taste buds and pulls on the heartstrings.
Festivals
- Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles 2023, Audience Award
- Borrego Springs Film Festival 2024