In On The Nose, written, directed, produced, and edited by Thomas Davisson, a simple request spirals into something much darker… in terms of relationships. A young woman (Alexis Presley) is getting ready for date night and turns to her boyfriend (Mustapha Slack) for advice on her outfit. At first, he’s casual and supportive, telling her she looks great. Not satisfied with that answer, she goes for another outfit, but her choices become more extreme, and the exchange takes on a passive-aggressive edge. What starts as light teasing soon evolves into a subtle battle of wills, as the girlfriend pushes for honesty and the boyfriend tries to balance honesty with diplomacy.
Director Thomas Davisson describes On The Nose as a deeply personal work that came to him quickly, written more from raw feeling than calculated thought. For Davisson, the film is an exploration of how relationships rely on honesty, and how trying too hard to say the “right” thing can backfire, leading directly into the conflict one hopes to avoid.
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“The girlfriend pushes for honesty and the boyfriend tries to balance honesty with diplomacy.”
On The Nose is a dramatic snapshot of a relationship. All around, the storytelling—from shot composition to authentic performances by Presley and Slack—makes for a solid story that gets right to the heart of the matter.
On The Nose captures that fragile space where love and honesty butt heads, reminding us that even the smallest conversations can carry high stakes. Relationships are a tough road to navigate. Though honesty is the best policy, there is that dance between being blunt and being polite…and then there’s the whole mind-reading thing. In the end, the film reminds us that communication is both the greatest challenge and the greatest key to keeping love alive.
"…Even the smallest conversations can carry high stakes."
