Filmmaker Jack Howard, best known for his sharp comedic work as one half of the duo Jack & Dean, makes an assured and quietly haunting leap into drama with The Second Time Around, a fantasy-inflected short that marks his most mature and emotionally resonant work to date.
Set over the course of a rainy London night, the film centers on a young waitress (the compelling Hannah Onslow, This City Is Ours) who encounters a mysterious older woman (the ever-excellent Caroline Goodall, Schindler’s List, Hook) as she closes up a café. What begins as an ordinary closing shift slowly unfolds into something far more ethereal, a reflective dialogue on regret, memory, and the strange ways time can fold back on itself.
Howard’s direction is restrained but deliberate, blending naturalism with an undercurrent of the uncanny. His use of shadow, reflection, and the soft hum of nocturnal London creates a liminal mood, part ghost story, part emotional reckoning. It’s a testament to his sensitivity as a storyteller that the film feels both grounded and otherworldly.
Goodall brings gravitas to every frame she inhabits, her performance imbued with quiet melancholy and warmth. Opposite her, Onslow more than holds her own, delivering a layered portrayal that balances vulnerability with curiosity. Their dynamic, maternal, mysterious, and charged with emotional recognition, forms the heart of the film.
Technically, The Second Time Around impresses with its production polish. The cinematography evokes the reflective dampness of Before Sunrise with a sci-fi shimmer that recalls Black Mirror’s more intimate episodes. The film’s sound design subtly amplifies its fantasy elements, while Howard’s pacing ensures the short never feels rushed or overstays its welcome.
Already a Best Sci-Fi Award winner at the Oscar-qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival, and shortlisted for Best British Short at the Iris Prize, The Second Time Around has quickly become one of the most talked-about UK shorts of the year. Its upcoming broadcast on Film4 and Channel 4 VOD will only cement its reputation as a breakout debut for Howard, and a showcase for two exceptional performances across generations.
Produced by Ash Horne (Marion) and Max Marlow (Good Boy), and supported by MindOut, the LGBTQ+ mental health charity, the film also resonates on a thematic level, exploring identity, loneliness, and connection with quiet dignity.
If The Second Time Around is any indication, Jack Howard’s move into dramatic territory is not just a side-step but a full-fledged arrival. It’s a short that lingers, tender, timeless, and deeply human.
★★★★★ (5/5)
A moving, beautifully crafted debut that transcends its genre trappings to deliver something truly heartfelt.
Margaret Brown
