A couple on the rocks struggles with honesty, leading the woman to make a fateful decision.

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Review by Victoria Angelique:

The happiness of what should be a happy day is ruined in the short film BIRTHDAY BLUES. This very tense film depicts a moment between a husband and wife that are near the end of their relationship. It’s made in a way that even makes the audience tense, wanting to look away from this fight as if it’s being done in public though the couple are in the privacy of their home. 

The cinematography is shot in a way that adds to the tension, coupled with the fact that there is no score. There are long shots that don’t cut, following the actors as the tension builds up between them. The cuts become quick as the fight heats up, making it come across the screen to the viewer. 

The story is one that is quite common across the world. A wife that is married to a narcissistic man that only puts on the appearance of thinking about her. The moment she walks in the door, he makes fun of her for liking ice cream cakes as he presents her with his favorite cake. He continues to attack her, stating fictitious reasons that she would be a horrible mother simply because he does not want to be a father. His wife can do nothing right and when she calls him out on his behavior, he gaslights her by blaming his dark sense of humor. 

This very tense film shows how a self centered person can ruin something as joyous as a birthday. It can quickly destroy a person when their significant other is the one destroying their self worth. This is depicted expertly as the husband is the type of person that everyone should run from, someone that will never change and cannot stand when anyone else has a day to celebrate themselves. It’s very well done.