“Stucco”

It’s rare when a short film breaks through and gets watched by millions of people. The Internet has done a great job making shorts easier to find instead of the older way where most were relegated to a select few film festivals or Oscar consideration packages. STUCCO, from 2019, has played multiple festivals—premiering at HollyShorts in August 2019 and won awards at numerous others, including SXSW 2020—but it has also been viewed by many millions of people online since then.

Written and directed by Russo Schelling and multi-hyphenate artistic badass Janina Gavankar, STUCCO is a brilliant slice of creepy that addresses mental health in a way that isn’t demonizing, or patronizing, or reductive. The filmmakers took the time and energy to craft real people with their characters that grounds the short in recognizable feelings and perspectives. Aided by stellar performances (led by Gavankar), this base in an emotional reality allows the story to go to some fantastical and nightmarish territories.

The basic plot summary:

While hanging a piece of art in her new home, a woman knocks a hole in her wall, revealing what might be another room... Her mind unravels as she wonders what could be on the other side.

While the writing/directing debut for Schelling and Gavankar, the short film comes with a bunch of bonafides. There are multiple well-known actors in smaller parts in the short—including Debra Messing, Aisha Tyler. Leslie Odom Jr., Deborah Ann Woll, Rafael Casal, Michael Ealy, and more. The practical effects were handled by industry veteran Frank Ippolito and his Thingergy crew.

STUCCO is a fascinating film in all the best ways and will have you poring over the Internet to find more information about it. Hopefully the duo will continue to make more art together that will mesmerize as much as it terrifies.