Freddie Powell’s ‘Not Like Us’ is a riot of comedy and painful truths, wrapped in the sleek look of a first-rate British short. It opens with home videos and sunlit photos, a scrapbook of a couple’s golden days. Kids playing, faces shining, life brimming with hope. Then the film slams into the present, where all that warmth has cooled into domestic chaos that’s as hilarious as it is grim.
Robert Bathurst plays the husband like a man drifting in his own bizarre bubble. He’s content, pottering around the house in a world of quiet rituals, utterly unfazed that his wife wants him to be the charming man he perhaps once was. He’s not cruel or distant, just settled into the comfort of age, perfectly happy doing his thing and leaving romance behind.
Diana Kent, meanwhile, is a storm. She’s all eye-rolls, sharp retorts and a simmering frustration that he’s no longer the dashing partner of their younger days. She wants more of him, but instead finds him blissfully lost in his own habitual routines. Kent delivers like she’s flicking a knife across the kitchen table, torn between exasperation and lingering affection.
Powell knows exactly what he’s doing with this pair. The writing is flawless, the narrative spills over with small truths about how love curdles into habit, how affection morphs into constant critique. The couple shouldn’t be together, but they are, locked into mutual annoyance that feels real and deeply funny.
Joel Delvin’s cinematography keeps everything crisp and elegant. The film looks exactly as it should — clean, polished and beautifully lit. Ben Campbell’s editing has great rhythm, guiding us through this entertaining ride without ever dropping the pace.
Both leads are simply brilliant. Bathurst’s detachment and Kent’s simmering fury collide into comedy gold. It’s relatable and ridiculous all at once, leaving you laughing while wincing at how close it hits to an aging couple you might even know.
‘Not Like Us’ is smart, beautifully made and wickedly funny. It’s the kind of short you’d be happy to watch more than once
