In terms of plot, “The Hourglass Figure” really isn’t anything I haven’t seen before. It feels like a re-iteration of the Twilight Zone story “A Special Kind of Stopwatch” later remade in the eighties with a domestic twist called “A Little Peace and Quiet.” The premises are basically the same in tone and emotion. A busy and over worked house wife finds that she can get the quick fix to peace, quiet, and rejuvenation with a supernatural time stopping device.
However, thanks to the top notch performances, and absolutely gruesome pay off in the end, “The Hourglass Figure” is still a short genre entry worth a watch for fans who enjoy Patrick Rea’s universe where nothing is ever as it seems. Chelsea is a woman who spends most of her time trying to keep up with her housework and over active daughters who never hesitate to destroy the house. To boot, she’s married to a man who is not above criticizing her house work or general appearance with blatant disappointment. After he asks her to go to the attic to dig out an antique for a relative, Chelsea discovers a large hour glass that ensures she can have an hour to herself everyday by stopping time.
However, there are consequences every time she does stall time for herself. In either case, “The Hourglass Figure” is the classic morality tale about how life is tough and there are no such things as easy fixes and quick answers. Chelsea takes advantage of the hourglass, and soon enough becomes dependent upon it. In typical Patrick Rea fashion, what seems too good to be true basically is, and Chelsea discovers that her actions have intense consequences, ending on a gruesome and somewhat disturbing note that makes “The Hourglass Figure” a memorable short genre entry. Though the story is a old hat, “The HourGlass Figure” is still a very entertaining and morbid little gem that garners a slew of memorable performances, and director Patrick Rea’s classic sense of irony and twist finale that will stick with audiences long after the credits have rolled.