Omeleto | ME NIGHT | Omeleto @Omeleto | Uploaded August 2024 | Updated October 2024, 7 hours ago.
A woman confronts her inner demon.
ME NIGHT is used with permission from Lauren Knutti. Learn more at https://laurenknutti.com.
Allie is getting ready for a night out, even going live on social media to document her GRWM routine. But when her friends cancel, she goes through her list of everyone she knows, hoping to make alternate plans. She is doing everything she can to avoid being at home alone -- because then her inner demon will enter.
But her inner demon comes anyway, and she's "a lot." She second-guesses anything Allie does, criticizes everything from her decisions to her face shape and fills Allie's mental space with strange, distracting thoughts. But Allie must learn to deal with her inner demon before she takes over Allie's life.
Directed by Anna Salinas and written by Lauren Knutti (who also stars as Allie and her demon) and Rachel Van Nes, this zany yet perceptive short comedy brings to life the dysfunctional and sometimes comically toxic relationship we have with our inner critics. It literalizes this aspect of the shadow self, portraying her as Allie's inner uptight yet striving mean girl as well as a very rude, obnoxious house guest. The relentless stream of chatter, judgments and passive-aggressive insults drives Allie nuts until she lashes out, confronting her darkest aspect once and for all.
Captured in polished, almost frenetic camerawork and cinematography, the film's overall style is all about energy, from the witty, sharp rat-a-tat dialogue to the whirlwind pacing. It reflects Allie's compulsive extroversion -- she's constantly trying on clothes, putting on makeup, jumping on social media, and texting friends. It's all a tactic to avoid being alone because solitude brings on her inner demon, traipsing into Allie's life like a frenemy with an opinion on every aspect of Allie's self.
The dialogue is chock-full of jokes, one-liners and pop culture references, but it also reflects Allie's real and relatable insecurities, doubts and fears. Knutti's nimble performance as both Allie and her toxic inner demon portrays the former as almost manic in her performativity of positivity and the latter as controlling and judgmental. Allie does everything she can to ignore and then push away her shadow self, making it even more relentless in its efforts. The result is a battle of wills, one that erupts in a fit of violence and personal mayhem that is shocking to Allie in its vehemence.
What's interesting about ME NIGHT is that this final confrontation's denouement isn't played as a dominating victory, where Allie vanquishes her inner torment. Instead, Allie is almost shell-shocked by her violent response. After all, her inner demon is still a part of her self, as much as she hates it. In the end, Allie learns to accept her inner shadow, an acceptance that also quiets it down. They're able to co-exist and perhaps even find a space for each other, letting Allie be comfortable with all aspects of her self.
A woman confronts her inner demon.
ME NIGHT is used with permission from Lauren Knutti. Learn more at https://laurenknutti.com.
Allie is getting ready for a night out, even going live on social media to document her GRWM routine. But when her friends cancel, she goes through her list of everyone she knows, hoping to make alternate plans. She is doing everything she can to avoid being at home alone -- because then her inner demon will enter.
But her inner demon comes anyway, and she's "a lot." She second-guesses anything Allie does, criticizes everything from her decisions to her face shape and fills Allie's mental space with strange, distracting thoughts. But Allie must learn to deal with her inner demon before she takes over Allie's life.
Directed by Anna Salinas and written by Lauren Knutti (who also stars as Allie and her demon) and Rachel Van Nes, this zany yet perceptive short comedy brings to life the dysfunctional and sometimes comically toxic relationship we have with our inner critics. It literalizes this aspect of the shadow self, portraying her as Allie's inner uptight yet striving mean girl as well as a very rude, obnoxious house guest. The relentless stream of chatter, judgments and passive-aggressive insults drives Allie nuts until she lashes out, confronting her darkest aspect once and for all.
Captured in polished, almost frenetic camerawork and cinematography, the film's overall style is all about energy, from the witty, sharp rat-a-tat dialogue to the whirlwind pacing. It reflects Allie's compulsive extroversion -- she's constantly trying on clothes, putting on makeup, jumping on social media, and texting friends. It's all a tactic to avoid being alone because solitude brings on her inner demon, traipsing into Allie's life like a frenemy with an opinion on every aspect of Allie's self.
The dialogue is chock-full of jokes, one-liners and pop culture references, but it also reflects Allie's real and relatable insecurities, doubts and fears. Knutti's nimble performance as both Allie and her toxic inner demon portrays the former as almost manic in her performativity of positivity and the latter as controlling and judgmental. Allie does everything she can to ignore and then push away her shadow self, making it even more relentless in its efforts. The result is a battle of wills, one that erupts in a fit of violence and personal mayhem that is shocking to Allie in its vehemence.
What's interesting about ME NIGHT is that this final confrontation's denouement isn't played as a dominating victory, where Allie vanquishes her inner torment. Instead, Allie is almost shell-shocked by her violent response. After all, her inner demon is still a part of her self, as much as she hates it. In the end, Allie learns to accept her inner shadow, an acceptance that also quiets it down. They're able to co-exist and perhaps even find a space for each other, letting Allie be comfortable with all aspects of her self.
