Christy Lee Hughes’ comedic short film, Asking For It, is just so unbelievable it has to be real. Hughes plays Police Officer Crawford, responding to a hit-and-run incident called in by the film’s protagonist (Bryan Kaplan). Our hero was waiting at a stop light for the “walk” sign when a black SUV bumped up the curb and struck him.
As the man describes the incident, Officer Crawford begins to question why he was on the street in the first place.
The man says he was going to the liquor store for some chips. Crawford begins to obsessively dig into why he was there in the first place. She wonders, “Why just chips?”…oh, to satisfy his cravings…right? Then she wonders why he did not see the driver or that maybe the driver was in his short shorts.
“…[while] waiting at a stop light for the “walk” sign…a black SUV bumped up the curb and struck him.”
Swear to God, but as I’m writing out this description, it dawned on me that Asking For It draws parallels between this hit-and-run incident and what happens when a woman reports sexual assault. I’m so dumb. Well played, director Hughes and writer Rhea MacCallum.
Overall, Asking For It peppers this interaction between the police and the victim with the most frustrating elements of trying to prosecute sexual assault crimes. Clearly, hidden in plain sight. Rather than vigorously investigate the crime, the police investigate the victim instead. Why were you there? Sounds like you invited the assault. If you can’t give me a good description, how I can investigate the “alleged” crime.
As a short film, Asking For It is as simple as it gets. The story is a two-hander between Hughes and Kaplan. No frills and relies on two solid performances from the leads. As simple as it is. It’s a thinker and worth chewing on long after it’s over.
For more information about Asking For It, visit Christy Lee Hughes’ official website.
"…a thinker and worth chewing on..."
