Time to Go

A short satirical feminist thriller directed by Thomas Elliott Griffiths, written by Rob Sharp and starring Pamela Mayoss and Patrick Jeffries.

Megan (Mayoss) is an office worker who does not like her boss, Gavin (Jeffries). Gavin is a narcissistic and obnoxious man and Megan has been working for him for ages. She has finally had enough of his terrible behaviour and has made the decision to stop him once and for all. She is going to kill him.

The concept of this amusing (in a dark way) and also quite sinister: a frustrated and angry employee wants to murder her awful boss. Although that is the plot, the film does not have a straightforward narrative. Things are seen through Megan's perspective, and she spends almost the entire duration breaking the fourth wall and addressing the audience, with her words being voice-over. The film begins with her being at her workplace and describing what a wicked person Gavin is and the rest is primarily about Megan meticulously plotting the murder describing how she is going to do it (and looking online for instructions), while two members of law enforcement investigate a crime (the murder?). There is tension and distressing scenes and the unsettling atmosphere is accompanied by Ray Badger's cool music with great drumming.

Mayoss leads the film very effectively by portraying a woman determined to make the world a better place by eliminating a vile individual. She is methodical and very angry with the injustice that she is witnessing. Jeffries's character is the guy targeted by Megan, a corporate man whose lack of consideration for others is evident when it comes to firing people and he perceives women as sex objects. A very unpleasant person.

Via a plot about murder and revenge, this short acts as an exploration of feminism, sexism, narcissism and hatred. To a degree, there are elements that make this viewing about misandry, a consideration that is motivated by the character of Gavin, as he is presented as utterly despicable.

A film with dark humour and a lot of drama that is less keen on telling a story, focusing instead on a situation where a person has decided to commit murder. The result is an intriguing viewing that gains a lot from Mayoss's performance.