Title: Somebody Cares
Director: Julien Lasseur
Starring: Shawn Parsons, Cjon Saulsberry, Kristen Hansen
Runtime: 5 min

What It Is: Down-on-his-luck deadbeat Barry (Parsons) owes a lot of money to some dangerous people. One night, it all catches up to him when he’s kidnapped and held hostage—his final chance to come up with the cash.

What We Think: This short-but-sweet glimpse into the life of lovable goof Barry, played with memorable charisma by Shawn Parsons, feels like a close cousin to crime-comedy action thrillers like Pulp Fiction or The Nice Guys—in the best possible way. The tone is pitch-perfect, balancing effortless humor with surprisingly elegant production. The cinematography and set pieces are striking, offering a variety of impressively crafted shots, sharp editing, and all the key ingredients for a great feature film. This could easily serve as a scene or an opener for what would be an engaging full-length project.

Grade: A, A satisfying short situational comedy that delivers convincingly funny characters, beautiful production, and clever world-building woven into an otherwise simple story. I could easily see this playing at a film festival, where it would be a blast to watch with an enthusiastic audience. It also leaves me wondering—what else could the director of something this good pull off in a feature-length film? I’ll be waiting, Juien!