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How sad is this?

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.

"In the Dark" is an American 15-minute live action short film from 2013, so this one will have its 5th anniversary next year. Writer and director is Bettina Bilger and she is also the lead actress in here. This is the story of a couple and the funny complications they run into during the early phases of their relationship. I must admit that early on I thought she was a burglar or something, but maybe that's just me. At times, I felt that this had promise, even if it probably wasn't the most memorable (short) film of all time. But then there were scenes like the one near the end when both are with others and talking so loud that they can hear it through the walls. This was definitely a bit on the embarrassing side. And also with everything that happened, like the scene I just mentioned, I would say it is unrealistic that they are getting back together actually, but that's exactly what they do at the very end. I think the performances were good by pretty much everybody, especially Bilger and Tuohy and McDonald, but all in all the film at its very core, i.e. the romance and the comedy, was simply not good enough. There were occasionally promising moments when I really wanted to like it, but eventually I gotta give it a thumbs-down. Not recommended.

Absolutely well directed and edited short. It captured the feeling of NYC during the hurricane that put half of Manhattan into a power outage. I It was funny and the pacing was quick. Also a cameo or two from some well known character actors currently on a certain internet series. Highly recommended! The characters are easily recognizable. They are classic new york apartment dwellers. The story itself felt very modern and true to the life most new yorkers experience. I thought the romance was believable and you really felt a connection between the characters. I could see this short being expanded into a feature film. Just tiny vignettes of NYC life!

This is a really fun short by first time director Bettina Bilger. The film uses unique locations and scenery to give the authentic feel of New York without using the iconic yet overplayed locations we usually see in NYC based films. The story partially takes place during a massive storm but the real whirlwind happens inside the building. The story centers around Melissa, played by Bettina Bilger, as she maneuver's her way through different relationships with her supportive friends, one of who is the vivacious, Kelly Tuohy . Bettina's comedic timing was spot on without being exhausting. A crazy neighbor and his mother, played by a convincingly creepy Paul Krasner, is the perfect juxtaposition to the very charming Mark, played by Randall McFadden both who keep Bilger, darting in and out of the apartment. Highly recommend if it's showing near you.

In The Dark, exceeded my expectations. Humor, wit, but most of all, In The Dark has heart. You care about the characters, which is something that is often overlooked in comedy. Bettina delivers a wonderful performance as a quirky, real, sometimes self-deprecating character. Her mismatched relationship with a Republican neighbor proves that the human connection we share as people is far more important than the labels we often use to divide us. I am excited to hear that Bettina is currently working on a full length script for her short. I am interested to see how her relationship develops not only with her love interest but also with her crazy next door neighbor, who has a strange and inappropriate relationship with his mother. In my opinion In The Dark is a must see short!