PUSS COMES STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART

It only took a few minutes for director Leah Shore to have audiences howling at her new short film Puss during the Midnight Shorts programme at SXSW 2021. It focuses on Sarah Ellen Stephens who plays Samantha who is living alone during the pandemic. Her introduction in the film is abrupt as she’s having a good time with her dildo trying to get off. As she comes, we realize that it’s just one of her numerous sessions of masturbating during the lockdown. It’s only blissful for a couple of seconds until she realizes that she is not getting the real thing. She just wants to get the D.

Samantha tries to text a couple of friends who may have benefits but has to put up a front. Her guy friends don’t seem too interested or just plain clueless. She loses these guys in her delirious manner of courtship in hopes that her horniness is served. This leaves Samantha far more frustrated. Who wouldn’t be? With all this time that everyone had on their hands during the pandemic, why is it so hard for a woman like Samantha to get some? Does she really have to play the Tinder game just to get some ass?

Samantha even goes as far as trying to recreate her own amateur porno. This is when her UberEats guy comes ringing from downstairs with her food. She puts her mask on but her pants are off when she answers the door. The invitation is clearly set but this guy is again just like the rest of them: fucking clueless.

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Puss is actually such an icebreaker of a film and it is relieving. It relieves us of some of that depression, agony and torture that we all went through or all still going through in this pandemic. Through many hearty laughs, director Leah Shore keeps it real for all those who were struggling to get action during the lockdown. To all of those who were rubbing it in our face, we became to despise. But this is a film that inspires us to get our swag back despite the pandemic.

Through the narrative of PUSS, Leah Shore is saying that it is alright to laugh at ourselves, because who else will? This short film spoke to many of us in its 8-minute span. Especially those who were in isolation in a small city apartment.

What I love about Leah Shore is that she nails it in the film. She comes with an innocent yet postmodern black comedy to her approach that it blends seamlessly with the new normal. It might be a little cringe and embarrassing but it ain’t far from the truth. If someone is going to be the new Tina Fey of this era, then look no further. Leah Shore has more than the skills to do so.

www.leahshore.com

Click below as we discuss the film PUSS with director Leah Shore