Stockholm

THE SEATTLE FILM FESTIVAL 2026 REVIEW! Stockholm, written by co-stars Jenna Harwood and Lily Greenwald and directed by Kaitlyn Mikayla, runs 10 minutes and 26 seconds. It centers on erotic model Claire (Harwood). She started by giving in to men’s kinks on dating apps. Her roommate and best friend Skye (Greenwald) takes the photos and encourages the behaviour. It all seems to be good, sexy fun until Claire is kidnapped by a deranged fan named Leo (Josh Davis). After months of physical, mental, and sexual abuse, Claire returns home. However, adjusting to life outside Leo’s control proves far more difficult than anyone could have predicted.

The short is a psychological thriller with a lot to say. Harwood and Greenwald craft fun characters and then drop one of them into an unimaginable situation. The story is handled with care, never going too over-the-top nor losing focus on Claire and her headspace. The exploration of whether Claire actually wants to go back to Leo, or just needs more time to figure out how to think for herself again, is heavy but realistic.

Roommates Claire and Skye share snacks on the couch in Stockholm.

“It all seems to be good, sexy fun until Claire is kidnapped by a deranged fan named Leo.”

Mikayla directs with an eye toward horror and intensity. The basement the main character is confined to is creepy and cramped. Harwood is easy to root for and is fun. Davis is truly terrifying as a control freak with no morals. Their chemistry sells the awful situation and slow degradation of Claire’s mental state perfectly.

Stockholm explores the ideas around consent, kink, and when things cross a line wonderfully. The screenplay is smart enough to know that there aren’t any easy answers and lets viewers draw their own conclusions about what Claire will do. The directing keeps the tone intense and atmospheric while allowing the characters to feel authentic. All the actors give strong performances and play their roles well, no matter how awful, believably.