This confident and atmospheric short may not be flashy, but its ambling, observational pace and detailed soundscape piques the curiosity.

With charmingly stylised visuals fittingly restricted to grayscale, IDLE’s aesthetic is in tune with the sense of routine monotony it conveys. The experiences portrayed are knowingly commonplace – the peals of the alarm bell are all too familiar – yet IDLE tantalisingly brushes against topical themes. A lack of clear visual differentiation between hand and phone represents modern man’s affliction for whiling away time on a smartphone, while relatable dialogue ponders the larger ways in which we pass time.

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INFORMATION

CAST: Joseph Paulino Binzer, Matt Mackay Higgins

DIRECTOR: Jonah Burke Primiano

WRITER: Jonah Burke Primiano

SYNOPSIS: An isolated gas station pulls into focus the difference between our current generations. The younger unwilling to identify with the older. The older disappointed with the younger. Despite each being characterized by their differences, they are both rooted in the same existential doubts.