What’s scarier than a satanic cult? A men’s rights group. Mariel Sharp and Kaye Adelaide, directors and producers, present Don’t Text Back, a horror short made by a group of women and LGBTQ+ artists. This hilarious and witchy low-budget short film stars Danielle Lapointe as the naive Kelly, who seeks out the help of Jaren (Nancy Webb), an energy healer and a graphic designer (who is not a psychic), after receiving a cursed necklace from a man she met on Tinder that tightens around her neck every time she doesn’t text him back. 

Cue the sounds of a whale sanctuary playing loudly in the background to set the mood, followed by the classic line that begins every horror story, “there’s this guy…” Right off the bat, this film sets up the perfect type of deadpan humour that will continue throughout its runtime. It’s delightful to witness Lapointe and Webb go back and forth in a way that happens with such ease as they discuss the validity of dead plants, magic and the horrible consequences of being trapped in a heteronormative dating cycle. 

Another notable part about this short is the set design in Jaren’s house. When Kelly walks through the door, the room where the entirety of this film takes place looks fully lived in and designed to make any Pinterest user jealous. In a short, this fully realised set allows us to glimpse into Jaren’s personality in a limited time, which is quite impressive.

Don’t Text Back is an extremely fun short film that shows us how to purge a man from our lives without even getting dehydrated. Lapointe and Webb are brilliant together, and their conversations in this short are sure to hit a little too close to home for some viewers.

RATING: 4/5

INFORMATION

CAST: Danielle Lapointe, Nancy Webb, PY Letellier

DIRECTORS: Kaye Adelaide, Mariel Sharp

WRITERS: Kaye Adelaide, Mariel Sharp

SYNOPSIS: A woman seeks the help of an energy healer to rid herself of a cursed necklace that strangles her every time she doesn’t text back her bad Tinder date.