Directed by Julien Lasseur and written by Brian Groh, the 2025 Sundance selected SOMEBODY CARES is a sharp, witty bitesized treat that manages to tell a brilliantly riotous story in a punchy 5-minute film. The madcap story follows Barry (Shawn Parsons), a middle-aged lonesome layabout with piles of gambling debt. After he is taken hostage by a not-so-efficient hitman, the kidnapee has no one to turn to but his estranged sister to come to his rescue.
With the farcical energy of a classic screwball comedy, Lasseur takes a simple concept and elevates it into something ambitious, dynamic and, most importantly, outrageously fun. The narrative is expertly crafted to sweep the audience along with no time wasted on needless exposition or character building.
Parsons gives a convincing performance as our bedraggled ‘hero’ and, despite giving only a few lines, Cjon Saulsberry is equally brilliant as the menacing hitman. It is, however, Kristen Hansen’s deadpan delivery as Barry’s sister that provokes the biggest laugh in the entire film.
The farcical energy of a classic screwball comedy
With SOMEBODY CARES, Lasseur has made an efficient unpretentious little comedy with big laughs, and a few wry comments about modern culture thrown in too. While one can expect to see more portentous works at Sundance, I would highly recommend checking this brilliant short in the Shorts Program this year.
An efficient unpretentious little comedy with big laughs
Brian Cotter
