Seattle International Film Festival 2023: Film #34
"Tessa, will you please be nice to me again…?"
A great little chamber work of contemporary indie mumblecore, with Ben and Tessa's relationship running as hot and cold as the room in which they are trying to sleep. Whilst some of the (non-Kit Zauhar) acting didn't live up to the potential of the screenplay, I can personally authenticate the feel of these AirBnb guest—host interactions. In fact, there's probably a thinkpiece be written about Gen Z's inability to afford to buy their own homes and the pseudo oikos and how the inability for it to ever feel like a real 'home' leads to this kind of Airbnb awkwardness. Anyway, looking forward to seeing what Zauhar gets up to in the future.
Synopsis: In Philadelphia for the weekend, Tessa and Ben, a couple on the rocks, rent a room in the apartment of Adam, a reclusive stranger who quickly becomes an unwilling voyeur to the most private parts of the couple’s life. Tensions rise as the three enter an intimate battle to gain and reclaim territory.