A housewarming party between friends goes all kinds of wrong when a mysterious drug makes its way around the group. A cavalcade of laughs and difficult revelations permeate Truth Serum, Vika Evdokimenko’s rapid-fire exercise in subtle and not-so-subtle comedy. Omeleto, the popular YouTube short platform, picked up the short film.
Rushing to keep up with her upcoming get-together later in the evening, Abbie (Olivia Vinall) welcomes her guests, including mild-mannered Benji (Danny Ashok), wannabe-playboy-addict Jimmy (Richard Gadd), Sandy (Umi Myers), and her sister Vera (Sophie Kennedy Clark). The night is already off to a rocky start, as Abbie is convinced her husband Matt (Killian Coyle) is cheating on her while out. The situation escalates further when Jimmy stealthily raids the residence to satisfy his drug addiction, only to find a substance that encourages excessive honesty and a healthy dose of vulgarity. As the night intensifies, Matt returns, Abbie’s concerns intensify, and the drug makes its way around the venue.
The formula is there from the very beginning. The assembly, the attendees, and the suppressed feelings they hold within themselves are all present. It almost feels like director Evdokimenko is setting us up for an Agatha Christie-esque free-for-all. Bodies don’t hit the floor in the traditional sense, but some harsh truths sure do as Abbie’s marriage hangs in the balance, amongst many other things. Oliver Shuster’s screenplay thrives on bringing so many different people together and allowing them to be their ordinary, awkward selves before they completely shed that exterior. In addition to this, nobody feels left out of the mix, as everyone gets their moment to shine at some point or another. Pairing its characters off into oddball scenarios, the film not only mines ample humor from these encounters, but also a lot of self-reflection.
Quiet possibly one of the funniest and sincerest shorts you’ll watch this year, Truth Serum’s ensemble-driven story holds a whole bunch of uncomfortable twists and turns that you’ll probably end up laughing along with.
