Missing Hearts

Written and directed by Kit Wilson, Missing Hearts is a sci-fi short film about survival, isolation, and connection. Cassie (Chantel Frizzell), a stranded space pilot, finds herself alone on a desolate planet after losing communication with her team. With no coordinates to transmit and no rescue in sight, she accepts that she may be stuck forever. While trying to survive, she is approached by HIRU (Johnathon Grossmann), a vintage agricultural robot who had once served a now-deceased human colony. Like Cassie, HIRU has been holding out for rescue ever since.

HIRU invites Cassie to take shelter in his makeshift hut as a severe sandstorm approaches, further disrupting any chance of contact. As the two wait out the storm, HIRU attempts to make Cassie feel at home. In a moment of candor, Cassie reveals that she is pregnant, deepening their bond. When the storm damages the seal on the shelter door, the situation turns precarious. The same bacteria that killed HIRU’s previous human companions may now threaten Cassie and her unborn child.

“…a vintage agricultural robot who had once served a now-deceased human colony.”

From the title alone, Missing Hearts takes inspiration from both The Wizard of Oz and The Twilight Zone. Writer/director Kit Wilson explores an unlikely friendship between a woman and a robot and shows how the two of them need one another to survive.

Wilson makes the most of a low-budget desert setting and adds just enough ‘tech’ to give it a believable sci-fi fantasy feel. Though HIRU is essentially a ‘man in a suit,’ Johnathon Grossmann gives the character warmth and forms a surprisingly tender dynamic with Chantel Frizzell’s Cassie.

Missing Hearts blends science fiction with emotional intimacy, drawing inspiration from The Wizard of Oz and The Twilight Zone. Kit Wilson delivers a compelling story about unexpected companionship and the human need for hope, even in the bleakest conditions. In the end, it’s not just survival that matters—but the bond that makes survival worth the fight.