While its real-life implications are anything but sources of hilarity, Dosed manages to mine a decent amount of comedy from its fictional premise thanks to sharp wit and solid direction by Nadine O’Mahony.
Set in a seedy nightclub, Florence (Emily Dilworth) and Polly (Georgia Neath) get their kicks by drugging unsuspecting partygoers and parting them of their possessions. Whether it’s an enterprise or not is unclear, as the writing doesn’t really pay the setup too much attention. Nonetheless, they succeed with one poor customer, but things go downhill fast when Florence fails to remember the dosage she spiked his drink with. With Polly also getting involved, along with her girlfriend Tabitha (Karendip Phull), things don’t get easier for the crooks.
O’Mahony maintains a sleek, efficient style throughout the short, but it’s the stellar editing of Sam Rutter that does a lot of the heavy lifting, matching the frenetic energy of the actors on screen. The short largely works because of its rapid-fire dialogue and pacing, so it’s only fitting that its stars follow suit. Dilworth and Neath are in top form, with manic outbursts that just might make the audience forget how deplorable their characters are. The addition of Phull as Tabitha also leads to a satisfying little sequence that heightens the stakes. And while the film’s subject matter remains controversial, it mostly succeeds in delivering on its premise with a fun, if predictable, final twist.
