When a shlubby, middle-aged single dad is in desperate need of rent money, things go from odd to full-blown crazy in this unique and increasingly bizarre short. Nymphal is definitely an unconventional film and when we are introduced to our silent protagonist flopped half-naked on the bed it’s hard to imagine where it will go or the strange route we will take to get there. Thankfully by the end things do make sense (including the odd title) or at least as much sense as they are going to make.

While it is delightfully strange there is a method to the madness and the film stays true to its own internal logic, never devolving into nonsensically weird for the hell of it. Writer/director (Joe Pellegrino) was clearly working with a shoestring budget but is able to squeeze a lot of production value out of this shoot and incorporates so many great touches of subtly surreal world building that flesh out the story. The giant gangster landlord, the weirdos buying toys, and of course the excellent fake TV commercial that gave Mandy vibes in the best possible way. It all leads to an unhinged conclusion that I won’t spoil here but with a total runtime of just over 20 minutes is well worth seeing for yourself. That being said, the overall pacing would benefit from a bit of trimming and tightening but regardless it’s still an effectively creepy and unusual film that deserves a wider audience.

Availability: Widely Available

The full film is available on the director’s YouTube channel @joepellegrinofilm