A little ago I was introduced to Timothy J Cox’s work. As a fan of short films, it is always exciting to get new projects to check out, and these works were no exception.

Below, you’ll find three relatable yet original stories that bring forth fascinating topics one encounters on a day-to-day basis. There is humour, heartache, and candid reflections. Brief moments with tonnes to unpack that I hope you’ll enjoy as much as I have.

Without further ado, here are the reviews of said shorts:

Hard Truths

• Year of production: 2023
• Directed by: Maya Ahmed.
• Screenplay by: Timothy J. Cox and Paige Hoover.
• Producers: Timothy J. Cox, Paige Hoover, and Maya Ahmed.
• Cinematography by: Thomas Angeletti

Synopsis

A model receives some bad news from her agent regarding her career.

Review

Anyone with the slightest savvy of the fashion industry knows that the war on weight for models has always been savage, especially since the early 90s, when “heroin chic” became a thing and influenced the lives of women both inside and outside the industry. It got so bad that at the beginning of the 2000s, Spain, followed by Israel and France, began to require a healthy BMI for models to be able to work.

Sadly, this is but a drop in an ocean of problems for models regarding weight, most of them expected to be just as slim but now also fit the BMI requirements. A whole other ordeal comes with plus-sized models, also known as regular-weighted women in any other context outside the industry.

Hard Truths taps into the latter issue, highlighting the emotional toll it takes on models to try and change the industry rather than let the industry change them. Despite being an obvious issue, with brands like Victoria’s Secret trying to wash off their fatphobia, there hasn’t been much development since the aforementioned weight rules were applied, and women with a regular size are still considered plus-size in the industry.

Hope Harmon (Paige Hoover) is the target of this discrimination in the film. Her agent Peter (Timothy J. Cox) tries to break terrible news to her: a major contract will be annulled unless she loses weight. This leads to a long discussion that explores Hope’s mindset, as well as the pain that this situation causes her. Hoover’s performance is positively enthralling. Her charisma will get you on her side from the very beginning, but her acting will go straight to your heart, no questions asked.

All in all, Hard Truths is a short story that says everything it needs to say in the time that it has, respecting its audience’s time by avoiding unnecessary pauses. It has an important message, and it delivers it tastefully and honestly, exactly what you expect from a short film of its kind.

Sundays with Dad

• Year of production: 2024
• Directed by: Thomas Angeletti.
• Screenplay by: Timothy J. Cox.
• Producers: Alex Johnson and Robert Morris.
• Cinematography by: Jake Reynolds

Synopsis

A son visits his father and discovers a truth about the latter’s life that is hard to swallow.

Review

This short film taps into communication among family members, especially parents and their children. There is a certain set of expectations that come with being a parent. A list of unwritten rules that kids assume their parents will follow. Getting a companion is, quite predictably, way outside of those norms. However, the film invites us to think about paying for company outside of the usual contexts in which said practice is presented.

Ben (George R. Hildebrand) is an old man who lives alone after the passing of his beloved wife Maggie. When Jason (Timothy J. Cox) visits his father, he learns a bit more about his experience as a widower and the reason why he would choose to pay for a woman’s company.

The only downside of the short film is that Hildebrand looks insanely young for the role he’s playing. As a result, the first few minutes feel more like two friends getting together than a father-and-son relationship. However, the story is compelling, and their connection is soon clear, the dialogue convincing you of their reality even when your eyes remain sceptical.

All in all, Sundays with Dad invites you to think about your own relationship with your parents and how much you really know them. Do you communicate with them enough? Do you know the type of people they are? It might be the time to find out.

Good Luck to Me

• Year of production: 2025
• Directed by: Maya Ahmed.
• Screenplay by: Heather Bayles and Timothy J. Cox.
• Producers: Heather Bayles, Timothy J. Cox, Thomas Angeletti, and Maya Ahmed.
• Cinematography by: Thomas Angeletti.

Synopsis

A couple meets for a coffee, and, despite the awkwardness between them, they can’t help but keep extending their meeting.

Review

This short drops you right in the middle of an incredibly uncomfortable situation: two people having coffee with nothing to say to each other. As time goes by, you begin to deduce that they have some kind of relationship. However, the nature of it or its current state is unclear until the very end, which is why it won’t be divulged here.

Still, regardless of their relationship, the story is hilarious in itself. Both the man and the woman who are meeting look tense and on edge, but, for some reason, they keep agreeing to hang out in another place, and another, and another. Elongating their own agony from what could’ve been a quick coffee to spending the whole day together.

The film’s comedic approach to such a situation is not only entertaining but also painfully honest. It is hard to create such a fun story when its core is bittersweet, yet his short absolutely nails it.

All in all, Good Luck to Me is a thoroughly enjoyable short film. Huge recommend if you have a few minutes to spare and want to watch a creative, touching story.

If any of these films caught your attention and you’d like to check them out, YOU CAN WATCH THEM HERE! (Good Luck to Me is currently in its festival run, so it is not yet available online.)

Advice to take from these short films:

• Relationships are always harder than they seem, no matter their nature.
• Never let other people tell you what you should weigh. Unless it’s a matter of security, that is.
• Listen to people before judging their actions.
• Things end. Life goes on. And that’s okay.

What’s your take? Have you watched any of these short films? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below, in my contact page or through my Instagram! For more reviews and cinema-related articles, check out the rest of my blog! 😀

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