TRUTH SERUM | Omeleto
39,878
Published 2024-06-16
TRUTH SERUM is used with permission from Vika Evdokimenko. Learn more at instagram.com/anfanterriblefilms.
Abbie is in a panic. She's about to throw a housewarming party with her husband Matt, and her hair is a disaster. With Abbie's timeline falling behind because of her beauty mishap, her friends begin streaming in, starting with Benji, who secretly nurses a long-running crush on Abbie. With Matt missing in action -- who's off in a bar with a beautiful woman -- Benji is more than happy to help Abbie out, especially as more guests arrive.
The gaggle of guests is a mixed affair, ranging from Abbie's boss to her friend Vera, who brings her surly teen daughter Roni along. But when Matt's troublemaker friend Jimmy arrives in his flashy sports car, all bets are off for a civilized affair.
Directed by Vika Evdokimenko and written by Oliver Shuster, this nimble, sharp-witted short comedy takes the time-honored narrative device of a social gathering to bring together a fascinating pell-mell of personalities, each with different secrets, pasts, motives and desires. Then it adds a rogue element to the mix, shaking everything up and creating a level of mayhem that tears off the veneer of civility to reveal the roiling truths of everyone around.
With such a large group, the clever, fast-paced storytelling quickly lays out the cast of characters, starting with the harried wife worried her husband is having an affair and the meek, quiet friend in love with her. There's a brassy, ballsy single mom and her annoyed daughter, a boss and a few others, but the real catalyst is Jimmy, a hard-partying, arrogant ne'er-do-well played in a slyly flashy, scene-stealing performance by actor Richard Gadd, lately of BABY REINDEER fame.
Jimmy brings unpredictability to what seems like a somewhat stilted yet civilized proceeding, especially when he accidentally spikes the party punch with one of his drugs, which seems to remove any ability for its users to lie. Under this influence, Gadd expertly peels away Jimmy's bluster to a hilarious yet genuine vulnerability, an emotional shapeshifting repeated by anyone else who has drunk the punch. The unraveling of the party is captured in sharp-eyed, deft and quicksilver camerawork and brisk editing, as people start saying things they should not say and reveal secrets they've been holding onto for ages. All the actors, from Olivia Vinall as Abbie to Danny Ashok as Benji to Killian Coyle as Matt, are memorably specific, and all fall spectacularly apart as their facades crumble, revealing the gnarly truths underneath.
The result is glorious social anarchy, leading to a contagion of uproars, a crumbling of relationships, a self-defenestration and a car crash for good measure. But it also allows some characters to be more honest with one another, which promises some glimmers of hope in their relationships. The orchestrated chaos and a real zinger of an ending make TRUTH SERUM a memorably entertaining watch, bringing the maxim of "The truth will set us free" to quirky, unexpected and chaotic life.
All Comments (21)
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Looks Like Jimmy recognized the girl as his daughter at the end since her mom said " I don't know who her dad is. For all she knows it could be Jimmy.
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omg its baby reigndeer
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"No babies. Only demons and HYPOCRITES." Lmaooooo
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Best short film I've seen. Nuanced characters, great dialogue, interesting plot points. Could be feature length or a tv show!
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I found my self diving into the various characters and enjoying all of the character plots. I’m glad that the inciting incident was delayed, just enough. Thank you!
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I loved this one. It was good mischievous fun. I think you could have gotten another 10 minutes more out of this at or this should have a part 2 to wrap the storylines. Even how the actors are described in the credits is funny too. Great job.
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We definitely need to give vast quantities of that blue liquid to ALL of the Government!
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aesome job baby rewindeer!!!!!!!! sentt from iphoen
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This is such a hilarious concept. I know I’m not supposed to like Jimmy, but he’s the only one I do like, lol.
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I wish there were proper subtitles added to this film. I can't understand half of what anyone's saying, and the auto-generated subtitles suck.
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That was really entertaining🙂
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I love this so much. I relate in some way to everyone and the environment.
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Honestly, a life filled with truth serum is very lonely but it's the most useful thing I ever heard about. People's exhibitions being released before you know everyone deepest secrets and thoughts about you and the world, priceless 😂
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👍 all characters were truly hilarious and the film is true to life
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Def a 'feel good' short. Thankful for this one 😊
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This is a good companion piece for the movie the invention of lying.
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Very interesting and well acted. Good work mr./miss director!
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Great script and acting was the best. Crazy and hilarious. Love it.
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Looks like a great party.
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Very good one. Thumbs up! If I had to make a critical remark I'd say I'd love this made into a movie length :)
