Last month, A.V. Club staffers shared their picks for the best pop culture of 2016 so far. Our own Gus Spelman took the opportunity to sing the praises of the short film Her Friend Adam, calling it “best possible version of a modern-day Woody Allen piece.” Now, following its premiere on Vimeo, director Ben Petrie has granted The A.V. Club an early look at the short, which he describes as “16 minutes of romantic doom.”
The short takes place in a cramped studio apartment and focuses on the insecurities of the modern male. In a bit of typecasting, writer/director Ben Petrie portrays Robert, a man who appears to be really into his girlfriend, although she may not return the favor. A casual conversation upon returning home from work erupts into a screaming match (as these things do) over Liv’s (Grace Glowicki) gay friend Adam, and how close the two appear to be.
The film features three fine performances, but Glowicki is the standout, winning her the Short Film Special Jury Award For Outstanding Performance at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. There’s a moment in the film where Petrie is tempted to go through Liv’s phone that will have audiences screaming at the screen like they’re watching the third act of Halloween.
Her Friend Adam is now streaming on Vimeo. Petrie is currently writing his first feature.