REVIEW: ‘Waffle’ is an Enjoyable Comedic Horror Tale

Waffle (2020) is a horror-comedy short film directed by Carolyn Hudson, and stars Katie Marovitch and Kerry Baker that was initially slated to release at SXSW. Kerry and Katie are having a slumber party. But everything isn’t as it initially appears to be. When a simple evening gets uncomfortable fast, Kerry begins to understand why Katie has a hard time making friends.

Making friends is one of the most complex things everyone has to do at some point or another. After all, no person is an island. But what if you could rent a friend? What if you could tap a screen a few times, and an app would send you a friend for the evening? Is that really friendship?

Waffle (2020) looks at this concept through the interaction of rich, socially awkward heiress Katie and normal everyday person Kerry. Katie seems to be looking for genuine human interaction, while Kerry is just trying to pay her bills. As time limits expire and money is thrown around to continue the night, things go from comfortable to hostile quickly. The supremely obvious flaw with renting a friend is all too clear. As the night progressed, Katie continued to try to recreate a feeling of casual friendship. This almost works at moments. But the imbalance between the two participants gets in the way.

As the night goes on Kerry is further disturbed by some upsetting and unhealthy character flaws that begin to surface in Katie’s personality. Katie’s need to control Kerry is instantly disconcerting from the moment it surfaces. Marovitch does a great job of turning this hostile, controlling visage on and off with ease. One moment she is making passive threats, and the next they are partaking in a pillow fight.

Similarly, Baker does a good job of counterbalancing Marovitch’s wild inconsistencies. Trying her hardest to do what she needs to for a good review, her character invokes a ton of sympathy. Needing to appease an unreasonable person for the sake of your own needs is a stressful and terrifying situation to be in. The way Katie hangs her review over Kerry’s head to push her beyond what is required of her calls out how easily rating-driven performance apps can allow for abuses.

Along with the acting and plot of Waffle (2020), the visual presentation was also well done. The setting, lighting, and wardrobe all sold the situation well. And the cinematography was well executed. While no shots ever truly blew me away, nothing ever pulled me out of the moment during this ten-minute film.

With an interesting twist at the end, Waffle (2020) creates an enjoyable comedic horror tale, with a bit of social commentary wrapped in it for good measure. I was impressed with what was able to be done in the short time the film allowed and would easily recommend checking it out.

Waffle can be watched on VOD here.