Tuesday (2015)

One of the great things about Mubi is the offering of both feature-length and short films. This week I have decided to switch it up for Mubi Monday and take a look at one of the short films available to stream with…Tuesday (2015).

Title: Tuesday

Director: Charlotte Wells

Released: Digitally on November 19, 2015 (United Kingdom)

Runtime: 11 minutes

Available to stream: Exclusively on Mubi (Don’t have Mubi? Here is a month for free!)

While Mondays are for Mubi, Tuesdays are for Allie (Megan McGill) and her dad. She is ready to head over to his place after school today. No matter what, she will be there every Tuesday.

As Allie goes through her day, she seems to be a bit flustered. When her friend asks to come over, Allie is very short with her while maintaining a firm stance that she spends some time alone with her dad. She also seems to have forgotten her homework that was assigned over the weekend. When her teacher confronts her about it, he accuses Allie of letting drugs and booze keep her from her homework. Allie simply stands still and blankly stares at the professor before the professor grants an extension until tomorrow.

With school now out, it’s off to dad’s place.

But what is it that is so special about their Tuesday visits?

Before her feature debut, Charlotte Wells directed three short films while attending NYU, Tuesday (2015) was her very first.

That alone is impressive. I was worried that there may not be a cohesive beginning, middle, and end being that the runtime is only eleven minutes. Well, I am happy to say that I couldn’t have been more wrong. Not only is it a cohesive story, the editing and pacing are both excellent.

One surprise was the lack of dialogue. However, thanks to the performance from Megan McGill, we don’t need there to be a lot of dialogue. Her expressions manage to say more than any words could.

All throughout we, as the audience, are kept at an arm’s length as to what exactly is going on. This allows the ending to slowly creep up on you before hitting you like a ton of bricks.

If you were a fan of Aftersun (2022), I highly recommend going back to check out where it all began for writer and director Charlotte Wells.

Well, now it’s time to hear what you think.

If you’ve seen Tuesday (2015), tell me what you thought of it in the comments below or by reaching out on social media!

Curious to see what else I’ve been watching that doesn’t get a written review? Head on over to my Letterboxd and give me a follow.