Just One Drink

Last updated
Just One Drink
Just One Drink Poster.jpg
Directed byAndrew de Burgh
Written byAndrew de Burgh
Produced byAndrew de Burgh
Esther Washington
Starring Barbara Nedeljakova
Andrew de Burgh
Isaac Anderson
CinematographyLuca Mercuri
Edited byJason Christopher
Music byScott Jeffry Holmes
Distributed by ShortsTV
Release date
Running time
19 minutes
Country United States
LanguageEnglish

Just One Drink is a 2015 psychological thriller short film written, produced and directed by Andrew de Burgh, who also stars opposite Barbara Nedeljakova. It premiered at the 2015 Chinese American Film Festival. [1] The film received critical acclaim. It holds a rare 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. [2]

Contents

Plot

In a dimly lit basement, a masked surgeon examines a bloody carving fork. Steve Pintolivo (Andrew de Burgh), a recent university graduate, receives a Facebook message from a beautiful woman named Tamara Nolan (Barbara Nedeljakova) inviting him to her Hollywood apartment for a New Year's Eve party.

Over some Colombian marijuana the next day, Steve and his former classmate Derek Urden (Isaac Anderson) discuss a variety of topics including the possible evolution of man and a former right-hand man of Josef Stalin who recently spoke to Derek's religion class about his conversion to Christianity. When the topic of Stalin's underling comes up, Steve quickly changes the subject to Tamara and the invitation. They decide to go to the party but when they arrive, only Tamara is there. However, the two young men soon fall for her charm and are tricked into drinking a cocktail laced with a very powerful sedative that knocks them out within seconds.

When they wake up, Steve and Derek find themselves in a dark basement strapped to an operating table and chair, respectively. Tamara casually walks in holding a syringe and injects Derek with a colorless liquid, killing him instantly. She mentions to Steve that an old man used to live there. A flashback to one year prior and Steve, dressed in a trench coat and holding a knife in his hand, sits on his bed berating Andrei Dzagoev (Harwood Gordon), a former underling of Stalin for murdering his grandfather Ruslan Voronin, a rebel leader, in the Second World War.

Back in the present, Tamara explains that Andrei was her husband and the only man who ever truly loved her. She proceeds to put on surgeon scrubs, then stabs Steve with a carving fork, murdering him. Later that night, Tamara sits in her car, texts a friend, then drives away. [3]

Cast

Marketing

A theatrical trailer was released on March 25, 2015. [4] A short story version was released on February 28, 2017. [5]

Reception

The film received positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film received an approval rating of 100%, based on 5 reviews, with an average rating of 6.5/10. Starburst Magazine film critic Ryan Pollard gave the film a 7 out of 10 and noted that the film "succeeds in putting a new spin on the revenge genre by managing to be effective and atmospheric for the most part, and getting the best out of Barbara Nedeljakova." [6] Felix Vasquez of Cinema Crazed commended the film, stating "Director de Burgh is very good at delivering the gut punch with a surprise twist that unfolds within a twist. He shows a real knack for building suspense and keeping ambiguity a priority in unfolding his narrative. The performances really help “Just One Drink” packing some really great turns, including from Nedeljakova, who presents dimensions that she manages to convey in only eighteen minutes." [7] Dennis Schwartz of Ozus' World Movie Reviews gave the film a B− and noted that "The knockout film is too short to do more than provide a fine eerie atmosphere for its femme fatale story." [8] Staci Layne Wilson of Dread Central praised the film, stating that "The short is well-acted, the dialogue is up to par, here’s gore galore, and it’s intriguing enough to turn into a feature." [9] Anton Bitel of Eye For Film gave the film a three and a half out of five and commended the film's "involving narrative structure." [10]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>The Hospital</i> 1971 absurdist satirical black comedy film directed by Arthur Hiller

The Hospital is a 1971 American absurdist satirical black comedy film directed by Arthur Hiller and starring George C. Scott as Dr. Herbert Bock. It was written by Paddy Chayefsky, who was awarded the 1972 Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. Chayefsky also narrates the film and was one of the producers; he had complete control over the casting and content of the film.

<i>Maborosi</i> 1995 Japanese film

Maborosi, known in Japan as Maboroshi no Hikari, is a 1995 Japanese drama film by director Hirokazu Kore-eda starring Makiko Esumi, Tadanobu Asano, and Takashi Naito. It is based on a novel by Teru Miyamoto.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Linklater</span> American film director, producer and screenwriter (born 1960)

Richard Stuart Linklater is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is known for making films that deal thematically with suburban culture and the effects of the passage of time. His films include the comedies Slacker (1990) and Dazed and Confused (1993); the Before trilogy of romance films, Before Sunrise (1995), Before Sunset (2004), and Before Midnight (2013); the music-themed comedy School of Rock (2003); the adult animated films Waking Life (2001), A Scanner Darkly (2006), and Apollo 10 1⁄2: A Space Age Childhood (2022); the coming-of-age drama Boyhood (2014); and the comedy film Everybody Wants Some!! (2016).

<i>Sleepover</i> (film) 2004 film by Joe Nussbaum

Sleepover is a 2004 American teen comedy film directed by Joe Nussbaum, in his feature film directorial debut. The film stars Alexa Vega and Mika Boorem with supporting roles from Jane Lynch, Sara Paxton, Brie Larson, Steve Carell and Jeff Garlin.

<i>The Call of Cthulhu</i> (film) 2005 American film

The Call of Cthulhu is a 2005 independent silent film adaptation of the H. P. Lovecraft short story "The Call of Cthulhu", produced by Sean Branney and Andrew Leman and distributed by the H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society. It is the first film adaptation of the famous Lovecraft story, and uses Mythoscope, a blend of vintage and modern filming techniques intended to produce the look of a 1920s-era film. The film is the length of a featurette.

<i>Castle Freak</i> 1995 American horror film directed by Stuart Gordon

Castle Freak is a 1995 American direct-to-video horror film directed by Stuart Gordon. The film stars Jeffrey Combs as John Reilly, an American recovering alcoholic who inherits an Italian castle when a distant relative passes away. John stays at the castle with his estranged wife Susan and blind daughter Rebecca, but a freakish monster locked away in the basement escapes and commits a series of murders.

<i>A Cry in the Wild</i> 1990 American film

A Cry in the Wild is a 1990 American coming-of-age survival drama film based on the book Hatchet, written by Gary Paulsen. The film stars Jared Rushton as Brian, Pamela Sue Martin as Brian's mom, Stephen Meadows as Brian's dad, and Ned Beatty as the pilot. It spawned three sequels: White Wolves: A Cry in the Wild II; White Wolves II: Legend of the Wild; and White Wolves III: Cry of the White Wolf.

<i>Late Autumn</i> (1960 film) 1960 Japanese film

Late Autumn is a 1960 Japanese drama film directed by Yasujirō Ozu. It stars Setsuko Hara and Yoko Tsukasa as a mother and daughter, and is based on a story by Ton Satomi.

<i>Pandemic</i> (film) 2016 American film

Pandemic is a 2016 American science fiction thriller film directed by John Suits and written by Dustin T. Benson. Rachel Nichols stars as a doctor who leads a group to find survivors of a worldwide pandemic. The film is shot in a first-person POV, similar to first-person shooter video games.

<i>Four Sheets to the Wind</i> 2007 American film

Four Sheets to the Wind is a 2007 independent drama film written and directed by Sterlin Harjo. It was Harjo's first feature film, and won several awards at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival and American Indian Film Festival.

<i>Fear Me Not</i> 2008 Danish psychological thriller film

Fear Me Not is a Danish psychological thriller film released in 2008, directed by Kristian Levring. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and was produced by Zentropa.

<i>Contracted</i> (film) American horror film by Eric England

Contracted is a 2013 American zombie-body horror independent film written and directed by Eric England. It was first released on November 23, 2013, in the United States and stars Najarra Townsend as a young woman that finds herself suffering from a mysterious sexually transmitted disease after a rape. It has been compared to the 2012 film Thanatomorphose, with which it shares similarities. Twitch Film has criticized the movie for its marketing, in which England describes the character Samantha's rape as a "one night stand". The original cast of the first film is featured in a sequel titled Contracted: Phase II, written by Craig Walendziak and directed by Josh Forbes. The sequel was released in September 2015.

<i>Soulmate</i> (2013 film) 2013 British film

Soulmate is a 2013 British mystery horror film directed by Axelle Carolyn in her feature film directorial debut. The film stars Anna Walton as a woman who travels to the countryside to recuperate after a suicide attempt but finds that her cottage is haunted by a ghost.

<i>The Nightmare</i> (2015 American film) 2015 film by Rodney Ascher

The Nightmare is a 2015 American documentary film directed by Rodney Ascher. The film had its world premiere on January 26, 2015 at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and focuses on the topic of sleep paralysis. Ascher chose his subject because it had happened to him in the past.

<i>Last Shift</i> 2014 film by Anthony DiBlasi

Last Shift is a 2014 American psychological horror film directed by Anthony DiBlasi. It was written by DiBlasi and Scott Poiley, both of whom produced along with Mary Poiley. Juliana Harkavy stars as a rookie police officer who is tasked with taking the last shift at a police station before it is permanently closed. Strange events lead her to believe that it may be haunted.

<i>Havenhurst</i> 2016 American film

Havenhurst is a 2016 American horror film directed by Andrew C. Erin and starring Julie Benz, Fionnula Flanagan and Danielle Harris.

<i>Diverge</i> (film) 2016 film by James Morrison

Diverge is a 2016 American science fiction thriller film directed, written, and co-edited by James Morrison. It stars Ivan Sandomire, Jamie Jackson, Erin Cunningham, Andrew Sensenig, and Chris Henry Coffey. It follows a solitary survivor of a deadly virus who is given the chance to reclaim his life by altering his past.

<i>Terrifier</i> 2016 slasher film by Damien Leone

Terrifier is a 2016 American slasher film written and directed by Damien Leone. The film stars Jenna Kanell, Samantha Scaffidi, David Howard Thornton, and Catherine Corcoran. The plot centers on partygoer Tara Heyes (Kanell) and her sister Victoria (Scaffidi), who become targets of the enigmatic serial killer only known as Art the Clown (Thornton) on Halloween night.

Some Like It Rare is a 2021 French comedy horror film directed by Fabrice Éboué, starring Marina Foïs and Éboué. The film depicts a struggling butcher shop run by a married couple who begin hunting humans who practice veganism and selling their meat, labeling it as "pork".

<i>Failure!</i> 2023 film by Alex Kahuam

Failure! is a 2023 Mexican-American crime comedy film written and directed by Alex Kahuam. The film stars Ted Raimi, Merrick McCartha, Noel Douglas Orput, Melissa Diaz and Christin Muuli.

References

  1. ↑ "Just One Drink" at the 2015 Chinese American Film Festival.
  2. ↑ Just One Drink at Rotten Tomatoes
  3. ↑ "Just One Drink", Facebook, retrieved 23 January 2016
  4. ↑ "Just One Drink Official Trailer (2015) - Barbara Nedeljakova, Andrew de Burgh Movie HD". YouTube. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Just One Drink: Based on the critically acclaimed short film". Amazon. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  6. ↑ Ryan Pollard, Starburst Magazine Just One Drink (Short Film) Review
  7. ↑ Felix Vasquez, Cinema Crazed Just One Drink (2016) Review
  8. ↑ Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews Just One Drink Movie Review
  9. ↑ Staci Layne Wilson, Dread Central Just One Drink (Short) Review
  10. ↑ Anton Bitel, Eye For Film Just One Drink (2015) Movie Review
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.