fbpx

About the Film

The Bathtub | March 27, 2020 (United States) Summary:
Countries: United StatesLanguages: English

Film Stills

Film Review

THE BATHTUB is a surreal and quirky short film directed by Dylan Mars Greenberg and starring Sonic Youth’s Bob Bert.

This unique piece feels like an episode of The Mighty Boosh meets a Tim & Eric sketch. There are so many little details that were added to the storyworld they created here, that to try to list everything would detract from how fun and eccentric a trip down the rabbit hole with this film is.

The animation over the live action pieces works great for the aesthetic the director has created, and the handmade (possibly miniature) sets and production pieces put this film in a category all its own.

It would be easy to limit this film and push it into the experimental genre, but it’s much more than that. The voyeuristic aspects create an intimate portrait of the main character, content in his own little world that revolves around his bathtub and comic book. Bob Bert’s character Mr. Magoo’s his way through a few adventures, oblivious to his actual surroundings and nonplussed by the things happening to him.

The movie, at least to me, appears to show the struggle the introversion and the extent some people will go to try to interact, but not necessarily be apart, of the outside world. This person struggles sublimely in trying to be a part of these people’s worlds, without having to actually experience the world at large.

At roughly fifteen minutes, it runs at the edge of what I appreciate about short films, which is the ability to tell a complete story in a small period of time. The outlandishness of the movie keeps you in your seat and the cameos from folks like Troma’s own Uncle Lloyd Kaufman are a pleasant surprise.

If you’re looking for an eclectic and fairly quick movie that’s fun, quirky, and surreal, then THE BATHTUB is probably right up your alley. 

Review Scores

Direction
4/5
Screenplay
3.5/5
Cinematography
4/5
Sound
4/5
Acting
4/5
Final Score
4/5
A film critic for over a decade and a die-hard supporter of independent film and those that make it. Nic LaRue hails from the state of Massachusetts and spends his free time running a woodworking business (LaRue Creations), cooking, and taking time outside with his dog, Luna.