Have you ever rented an Air Bnb and wondered who stayed there before you and what they did in that place? Hearth, formerly known as Foyer, gives us a twisted scenario of what could potentially go down in an Air Bnb.
The short film starts off with a number of scenes which almost look like a commercial for a furniture store. In a clever use of time warping, a woman is cleaning a house while a couple walks into that same house. However, they aren’t walking in as she is cleaning; no, what we are seeing is the past and present at the same time.
The male of the couple is narrating a note in which he has written to the woman cleaning. The letter explains that the place was perfect for the couple’s needs and details a bit about their trip. As this narration is being read, we follow the couple in their weekend getaway. They are looking through a dating app together, giving the impression that they are swingers. However, things take a far more sinister turn than that.
“…looking through a dating app together, giving the impression that they are swingers. However, things take a far more sinister turn…”
Without giving away the ending, it was exactly what I thought it was going to be. I mean, the story could have gone one of two ways, so it isn’t hard to predict the rest of the plot and the ending. Even though the conclusion to Hearth was kind of predictable, it was not disappointing. The script took the twists and turns I had hoped for. The film can get a bit confusing at times as it shows the past and present at the same time, but the ending does make it clear what was happening and when.
There isn’t much dialogue in the film, so it’s hard to comment all that much about the acting. But, the actors do a decent job of acting like they were cleaning or sitting in silence, as that was all that was shown during this 9-minute short.
Overall, Hearth is not a bad film. It’s just that it was a bit predictable and not much to go on acting-wise. However, I did feel like I was watching a very shortened episode of Black Mirror which is a plus in my book.
"…took the twists and turns I had hoped for."
