One Shot of Espresso

Usually, the most unsettling thing about espresso is the intrusive thoughts that strike you at 3 in the morning after you drink it and can’t even begin to think about sleep. That or hearing the Sabrina Carpenter song of the same name for the seventieth time of the day. But those are nothing compared to the unsettling experience of One Shot of Espresso – Guy Taylor’s short that must be the only thriller ever to be set in a coffee shop.

Barista Michelle (Lauren Budd) is closing up her café for the day when she realises one patron (Will Stevens) has refused to leave. Her polite hints of the shops closure go ignored, as the conversation instead takes a sinisterly manipulative turn. The Stranger requests a single espresso from Michelle before he will agree to leave, but his quiet forcefulness creates the fear that there is much more from Michelle that this unknown man wants.

One Shot of Espresso is an impressive short thriller that cleverly demonstrates how manipulators operate, particularly when trying to coerce women who have been isolated. Will Stevens’ ‘Stranger’ is a genuinely unpleasant and unnerving presence in the film – and yet he barely ever shows signs of anger or bullying, nor does he make explicit demands. Instead, the circumstances do the heavy lifting for him. Having waited for other customers to leave and with Michelle totally alone, he effortlessly bats away her polite offers for him to leave and reverses the direction of their interaction to put himself in control – making full use of his physical dominance and paying no heed to personal boundaries. It is quickly clear that Michelle has little choice but to acquiesce to his wants, and it is not hard to sense his scarcely hidden enjoyment at toying with the young woman and his ability to get whatever he wants from her.

It is a strength of the film that it forgoes any dramatic plot twists or scale-balancing fantasy conclusion – and instead realises an experience that so many women will be disappointingly familiar with. Interactions like that between Michelle and The Stranger wouldn’t make the nightly news, but they do leave lasting impressions on those on the bullied end. It is not hard to imagine Michelle’s trauma after her run in, or the fear she would feel returning to her place of employment after the day in question. The tonal shift in the film from the opening minutes which feel like an upmarket coffee commercial, to the menacing horror-like vibe in the second half means this sensation is captured perfectly, and acts as a fine contrast to a plot that on paper could be read as uneventful.

Will Stevens is brilliant in the role as the stranger. The initial feeling-out between him and Michelle leave viewers wondering if this could be the beginning of a romcom. Stevens withholds the man’s intentions and adds in flourishes of awkwardness to soften him to both Michelle and the viewer, before unsheathing a far more driven yet still underplayed motivation once he has established the power dynamic he craves. Lauren Budd is equally impressive. Her performance as Michelle identifies the misogyny-imposed behavioural limitations women feel when trying to give orders to men, before switching to be much more vulnerable and submissive when the Stranger imposes himself in her space – a sad but understandable preservation mechanism for the character.

There is much more depth to One Shot of Espresso than initially meets the eye. This illusive short is far from a typical thriller but for those who understand the meaning and message of Guy Taylor’s film, the menace and manipulativeness in this short but significant encounter will leave a much bigger impression than far more eventful films could.