Cycles

Alex Eskandarkhah turns a chance meeting into a moment of connection in his short film, Cycles. Jerome (Andre Kelly), a tired mechanic, comes home after work intending to relax but finds his washer and dryer broken. Forced to go to the laundromat, he quickly discovers the change machine is also out of order and his money is gone forever.

Just then, a woman named Sandra (Kat Khan) arrives, and her dollar works. She gives him some change, and the two strike up a conversation while doing laundry. Sandra shares that she’s not from the area and is here handling some complicated family matters. She’s also an actress in indie films, and Jerome thinks he may have seen her in something. They connect over small talk and astrology, both discovering they’re Virgos.

Sandra receives a phone call and steps away, but returns later. Jerome encourages her to open up about what’s bothering her. She initially brushes it off, but eventually admits that someone in her professional life tried to take advantage of her. Jerome listens carefully as she reveals that she didn’t want to do what was asked of her and got hurt because of it. Their conversation deepens as they begin to understand each other’s pain, forming a quiet connection through honesty and shared vulnerability.

“Forced to go to the laundromat, he quickly discovers the change machine is also out of order and his money is gone forever.”

The underlying theme of Cycles is the idea that we are all broken people. Sandra is involved in toxic relationships with her family, and Jerome has a tragic secret he’s been coping with for years. This small, intimate moment in a lonely laundromat turns into a deep connection between two strangers. In other words, no one is alone.

Director Eskandarkhah wonderfully turns lead actor Andre Kelly’s script into an intimate and personal moment. It’s more than just a guy and a girl meeting on a date—it’s a chance encounter that blossoms into a potentially deep friendship, all within the quiet space of a laundromat.

Cycles reminds us that even in the hum of fluorescent lights and the smell of dryer sheets, human connection can bloom when we least expect it. Alex Eskandarkhah crafts a tender little slice-of-life encounter into a soulful reminder that sometimes the spin cycle is where healing begins.