You Wouldn’t Understand – Review/Summary (with Spoilers)

Living up to its title a bit, You Wouldn’t Understand presents a story that leaves you wanting to rewatch for you swear you might have missed something.

The poster for You Wouldn't Understand

Living up to its title a bit, You Wouldn’t Understand presents a story that leaves you wanting to rewatch for you swear you might have missed something.


Director(s) Trish Harnetiaux
Screenplay By Trish Harnetiaux
Jacob A. Ware
Date Released (Sundance Film Festival) 1/28/2021
Genre(s) Comedy, Crime, Sci-Fi
Duration 10 Minutes
Rating Not Rated
Noted Cast
Man In Sweater Anthony Arkin
The Strange Man Jacob A. Ware

This content contains pertinent spoilers. Also, images and text may contain affiliate links, which, if a purchase is made, we’ll earn money or products from the company.

Film Summary

A man is having some fruit, eating outside on a lovely day, and then this strange man approaches him. Said man is in all white, is rather suspicious, with an unnerving smile. But is he dangerous or just weird?

Things To Note | Question(s) Left Unanswered

  • Reason(s) for Film Rating: Outside of smoking, there is nothing that could make this beyond PG, if that.

Cast & Characters

Please Note: This is not an exhaustive list of every cast member.

Man In Sweater

Man In Sweater (Anthony Arkin) reading a book
Anthony Arkin appears in You Wouldn’t Understand by Trish Harnetiaux, an official selection of the Shorts Program at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by John Gebhart.

The man in a sweater was just someone reading his book, who finds himself watching something peculiar in the distance and then meeting the man who might be dangerous.

The Strange Man

With a pale pink coat, a smile that seems to be hiding something, and calling horse radish horsey sauce, would you trust anyone like this if they walked upon you?

Review

On The Fence

It’s The Kind Of Film That Leaves You Asking, “Why Did You Do That?”

You Wouldn’t Understand sets up a very weird situation that doesn’t get resolved because it is a short. We have this man who might be a murderer or just misunderstood. There is also the possibility that something is far more awry with this guy whose smile reminds you of a psychopath in American McGee’s Alice. And as one twist after another is revealed, you are never taken to the place of saying, “What the f***.” If only due to the build-up to wondering who the strange man is doesn’t match the pseudo-reveal.

The Strange Man (Jacob A. Ware) greeting the man in the sweater
Jacob A. Ware appears in You Wouldn’t Understand by Trish Harnetiaux, an official selection of the Shorts Program at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by John Gebhart.

For once that reveal happens, so does your interest begin to drop. Because then a sci-fi element is added, and between the effects and the twists, you’re just left wondering, was it necessary considering how good the foundation laid was?

Overall

Rating: Mixed (Divisive)

You Wouldn’t Understand presents a weird sense of humor that gets bogged down once a sci-fi element is introduced towards the end. For what begins as unnerving and creepy, with a comical tinge, devolves into being too much, too soon, and with not enough time to explain things, what made You Wouldn’t Understand interesting gets lost.

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