The Housewife: Best (Biased) Laid Plans and How They Go Awry

Jeremiah Kipp’s thriller The Housewife turns the tables on assumptions about the women who stay at home. Following the abduction of a woman and her kindergarten-aged son, the film founds itself on bias and the dormant capabilities it can sometimes fortunately neglect to see.

Written by and starring Kelly A. Turner, the proof of concept film lays out the current status of its protagonist, Laura: a loveless marriage, a forgotten degree in physics, and a little son who loves superheroes. When she and her son, Lucas (Brendan Riley) are abducted by disgruntled clients of her husband (Matthew Rashid), Laura must find a way to escape or face certain death in less than 24 hours. Her son included.

The unintended humour of the plot lies with the client-turned-kidnapper (Michael Crowe), who looks and acts the part of a professional criminal (dressed in all black at that) rather than an everyman who has been frauded out of a substantial amount of money. He even has a crew (Gabi Singh, John Vasser Jr., and Micah Spayer). One is working only under the threat of violence. The strangeness of the villain aside, being held in a basement with her son allows Laura to do what she has not for years: she takes charge of her own narrative. Despite her husband’s frantic efforts to arrange the money, it is nearly certain that he will be too late. If Laura and Lucas are to survive, it will be up to Laura to make it happen. Small mercies (the doing of Singh’s Ursula, a brief but touching performance) and careful tutoring offer a narrow window of escape. Thus begins a sequence of tense scheming, all hinged on Lucas, akin to Jack’s escape in Room (2015) on a plot level. Riley turns in a robust performance, key to an impactful climax.

Though the direction and lead performance will require work, the background score holds down the fort and creates the necessary drama and tension. One expects that being a proof is responsible for the film’s paint-by-numbers approach, because The Housewife only brings in its most entertaining bit late in the film, having the kidnapper actually dismiss Laura as just some housewife. Certainly, the narrative packs in a feature-length plot in under fifteen minutes, with a brief final sequence that effectively keeps the viewer hoping for more.

Watch The Housewife Short Film Trailer