If you are after a light and rather delightful comedy short, then Frances Chewnings’ The Pic will be right up your street.
Single mum Jen (Frances Chewning) is just chilling at home after setting her daughter down when she gets a message from her friend Steve (Dan Lippert). Suddenly, she has a view of a lot more of Steve than she anticipated when he sends her a picture from below his waist. How does she approach this situation and her friendship with him afterwards?
The little turn that The Pic takes midway through, as we find out why Steve sent the pictures in the first place, leaves you in a right state of chuckling. When a short film like this packs in the jokes within just 6 minutes, you know you are onto a winner, and with Chewning as the writer, it becomes an easy film to fall for.
What stands out the most, though, is how relatable everything within The Pic feels. With Jen, we see a single mother just getting through the day, someone who pours her soul into her daughter (considering how the house is filled with things that Cleo has made or her toys). So it doesn’t really cross her mind that someone would be interested in her until she gets the literal evidence that Steve very much is.
With Steve, we have a bachelor who loves watching animal documentaries while eating through a tub of cheeseballs. So, of course, as soon as someone like Jen comes around, he is going to do what he does to keep her interested. While The Pic is a very short film, it contains a lot of context and information on screen, whether through the way the two interact via the split screen or what is shown. You immediately like these characters, and the only downside is that we don’t get to spend a bit more time with them to enjoy their company.
Six minutes of loveliness with some characters you can’t get enough of makes The Pic a wonderful short film to enjoy.
The Pic is currently showing at the HollyShorts Film Festival 2025.
★★★1/2
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