Papercut
Two closeted actors turn a ride to their career-making awards ceremony into a raw confrontation over desire, fear, and the pressure to perform.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- tense
- intimate
- melancholic
- short film showcase
- quiet evening
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Kane and Gabriel confront expectations and each other in the back seat while traveling to an awards ceremony.
The actors are en route to a high-profile awards ceremony while concealing their sexuality and struggling with insecurity.
Intimacy and insecurity collide as the two closeted actors fight both external expectations and one another.
The 15-minute film concentrates its central conflict during the drive to a single consequential public event.
Films like Papercut, and why
Weekend
intimate queer relationship drama focused on emotional vulnerability and suppressed desire
God's Own Country
closeted queer identity, romantic tension, and concise emotionally charged storytelling
My Beautiful Laundrette
lgbtq+ drama centered on intimacy, insecurity, and the pressure of social expectations
Movie Details
- Director
- Damian Overton
- Release Date
- 2018-01-14
- Runtime
- 15 min
- Rating
- 3.6 / 10 (7)
Cast
- Josh Kieser
- Kieton Beilby
- Donnie Baxter
Common questions
- What is Papercut about?
- Two closeted actors turn a ride to their career-making awards ceremony into a raw confrontation over desire, fear, and the pressure to perform.
- What is Papercut like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Papercut as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Papercut violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Papercut.
- Which films are like Papercut?
- Films with a similar feel include Weekend, God's Own Country, and My Beautiful Laundrette.
- How long is Papercut?
- Papercut runs 15 minutes.
