Dave Canning’s ‘Bathroom Break’ starts as an amusing little corporate mishap, and then veers wildly into sheer madness. Clocking in at just under 10-minutes, it’s a sharp-edged, high-anxiety drop into the absurd – one part office satire, one part psychological thriller, and all parts unhinged dark comedy.
Tobias Segal plays Ben, a man who has locked himself in the bathroom, missing from an important corporate meeting. His absence is more than just noticed – it’s an escalating crisis. His steely-eyed colleagues, sensing something is off, try every trick in the book to lure him out – dangling promotions, vacation time, whatever bait might work. But as their efforts turn frantic, the tone shifts into something deeply unsettling. The negotiation becomes manic. The stakes feel bizarrely high. And the bathroom door? It may as well be the last barrier between Ben and something much, much worse.
Segal’s subtle performance is key to why ‘Bathroom Break’ works so well. He inhabits anxiety itself – his trembling voice, the tense clasp of his hands, the crushing weight of dread etched across his face. Just when you think you have a handle on what’s happening – the film takes a swing so outrageous and unexpected that it will leave you slack-jawed. Let’s just say a warrior sword enters the equation, and from that point on, ‘Bathroom Break’ stops playing by any conventional rules.
Canning’s direction is skilled here, balancing precision with controlled chaos. His dark comedic writing is both sharp and fearless, unafraid to explore the absurd and unsettling. He crafts a tale where tension and humor collide fast and hard, pushing boundaries in a way that feels both unpredictable and deliberate. With slick cinematography, crisp editing, and an ending that will knock you sideways, ‘Bathroom Break’ is one of those rare short films you’ll be telling people about for days. Highly recommended viewing.
