I was really interested in watching Eric Rich’s “Stalled” during Slamdance 2023 but sadly didn’t have the chance. I’m glad I was able to catch up with it now, as it’s such a darkly demented and funny short film. “Stalled” watches like an episode of an anthology series where audiences will be glad they’re not the main character.
A man is sitting alone in a stall in a rest room, and a small boy creeps up from under the door and stands silently. As men rush in to the bathroom, he finds himself awkwardly stuck with what he’s going to say and how he’s going to explain the weird situation to onlookers. The premise is very funny but it’s also very scary, and director Rich never shies away from how awful a situation this could be. The main character is literally frozen incapable of explaining away this innocent situation, and we’re thrust in to a variety of scenarios in to how this could play out for him.
Sadly, none of the potential scenarios ends pretty for him. How could it? The thing I loved about “Stalled” apart from Langston Fishburne’s performance is that director Rich throws in one last plot turn in the climax that I loved. It not only made me chuckle to myself, but it also arouses a ton of questions that will leave you theorizing long after the credits have rolled. “Stalled” is a great, darkly funny short that will assuredly keep you away from rest rooms for a while.
CINEJOY featuring CINEQUEST Artists is held from March 1st through March 12th.