A running theme of this year’s cancelled SXSW is the amount of films that dealt with technology. This makes complete sense due to the importance of it in today’s society. The coronavirus outbreak is a great example as people are relying more on virtual interactions to complete everyday tasks. Waffle is a short film starring and written by Katie Marovitch and Kerry Baker. The movie is about a sleepover the two apparent best friends are having. As more is learned about the rich Katie, it is clear that nothing is as it seems.
Many movies are accused of throwing too many twists at their audience. This is especially true of thrillers. It seems that many filmmakers work off the mantra of the more shocking revelations, the better. Waffle is filled with twists and turns. This may seem like a problem since the short only runs ten minutes. However, this never becomes an issue since Marovitch and Baker do an excellent job of pacing. Each reveal will catch the audience off guard. This is especially true of the excellent finale.
The vast majority of the film is just Marovitch and Baker. The two work off each other well and do an excellent job of building tension. Katie is obviously used to getting what she wants while Kerry is trying to get what she needs. The dichotomy is already in place for a unfair division of power. It also gives the audience an idea of what Kerry has to overcome.
The two have a great chemistry that will keep the audience engaged. Marovitch does a magnificent job of easing in and out of best friend who just wants to talk about boys to the dangerous stalker who knows exactly which buttons to push. For her part, Baker does a great job with what she is given. The short runtime does not allow for much development. Still, there are looks into her life that hint at a resourceful character who is just as entangled in the modern conveniences as the rest of the world.
Waffle has a familiar premise. Two friends are having a sleepover and having a fun time. Things suddenly take a turn for the worse when it is revealed one of them is a little more psychotic than expected. It would seem there is nothing left to explore here. Instead, Katie Marovitch and Kerry Baker do a great job adding topical tweaks to an old formula.
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