BANGS
Montreal-based comedy duo Emelia Hellman and Nancy Webb (Hellgirl Productions) bring their paranoia-fueled short Bangs to Fantasia Festival’s Fantastiques week-ends du cinéma québécois this summer for the film’s Canadian premiere.
On the eve of hosting a dinner party for her 30th birthday, a woman cuts her hair. When her friends don’t notice, it drives her mad. Nancy Webb‘s Fantasia 2024 short film BANGS has unexpected fringe benefits. Pun, very much intended.
With each passing hour that her guests don’t mention the bangs, our protagonist becomes tenser and more enraged. The audience is in on the joke, making us increasingly nervous. But the film does not go the way you might expect.
The handheld camera work gives the audience an immersive feel. Partly fly on the wall, but mostly, chaotically a member of the friend group. Lead Emelia Hellman, who co-writes the script with Webb, is excellent. She perfectly captures the need for approval and the rush of dopamine a compliment can supply.
BANGS is smirk-inducing and cringey in the best way. It’s an entirely relatable set-up. It is a commentary on narcissism and perceived identity, with a bit of magic realism thrown in for good measure.
DIRECTOR
Nancy Webb
PRODUCER
Emelia Hellman
WRITER
Emelia Hellman, Nancy Webb
CAST
Travis Cannon, Nicky Fournier, Emelia Hellman, Kelly Kay Hurcomb, Andi E McQueen, James Watts
Nerea Barros captivates as the titular character. She walks a perfect line between anxiety and persistence. Barros becomes a feminist icon we so desperately need.
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Jack Greig
For all things Fantasia 2024, 
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THE BLEACHER
WILDFLOWER
DEAD TOOTH
Tribeca 2024 Shorts
Short | United States, France | 18 MINUTES | English, French | English subtitles
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Britt Lower
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