Bad Cars (2012) Online

Two people meet up on a first date in Los Angeles. Both of them have terrible old knackered cars and as a result park a few blocks away from the meeting spot. Of course, while they have fun together, eventually they want to go somewhere and maybe do something more, but the limits of their respectful real lives impact on their plans.

There is an honesty in this film and in its central idea – the couple both have real lives which involve mess, limits and none of the gloss and shine that we would all like to have as our outward appearance. The threat of this being known is the joke here and it is one that offers potential. Unfortunately aside from one or two moments, it mostly is wasted. Instead we get the couple go on a "zany" date where they muck around in the library, throw food down in a show of support when the other drops theirs and generally act like annoying people who are trying hard to have a kooky yet cool outward image – but not in the way the short is mocking but in a way that is meant to win the viewer over. From here the "bad cars" idea is used but not particularly well and all that remains is the eventual reveal.

The reveal at the end is badly handled as a car accident is never the nicest end to a romantic comedy, plus it doesn't give us any payoff of the character reaction but just stops dead. The cinematography and use of locations is good but the constant "kooky but adorable" score is as annoying as the characters. If you like this style of thing then perhaps you love it but for me the good concept and the comedic honesty that is done well once or twice is mostly wasted in a short film that just didn't work for me.