King Ed

A young gay man is looking for his soulmate.

The protagonist of this short comedy drama that mixes fantasy with reality is Ed (Scannell). Ed is in a relationship with Joseph (Fascitelli) and when he becomes aware of one of Joseph's playlists, he adores it and is absolutely convinced that the two of them are destined to be together because Joseph created it. However, Ed imagines that he is communicating with an oracle (Bradshaw), who informs him that the list was not created by his current partner. So, Ed embarks on a personal journey, hoping to find out who put together that playlist, leading to disappointments and revelations.

The way the screenplay works is by being a romance, a comedy and a mystery. Ed plays detective, hoping to find the missing pieces to the puzzle and complete his romantic life and find happiness.

One of the best aspects in this film is Ed. Ed is a likeable guy who believes in destiny and he embarks on a mission to find the love of his life. His belief in destiny is clear by the fact that he is convinced that the creator of the playlist is the one he must be with. Since he believes in destiny, he is significantly influenced by the oracle as he does not question her when she states that Joseph is not responsible for the special playlist. Scannell's impressive performance is at times dramatic and at other times amusing.

The oracle is another thing that stands out. First of all, her appearance is quite memorable, with interesting clothing by costume designer Bailey Soudelier that includes a rather stylised mask. Then, there is her laid-back behaviour that includes a good sense of humour.

Since a playlist plays a key part in the narrative, it comes as no surprise that there are a few songs in the soundtrack and good ones too, some of which are Harry Hippie by Bobby Womack, Fast Car by Tracy Chapman, We Belong by Pat Benator and Galactic Love by The Tempers. These tracks, along with the addition of a beautiful choir song make the audio of this film rather pleasant to the ears.

This short is a journey of self-discovery. A journey that has its funny and awkward moments and its moments of drama. Scannell's performance, the soundtrack and T.J. Williams Jr.'s splendid cinematography provide high qualities to this film and so does the message that it delivers which is that self-discovery can lead to happiness.