The SXSW Midnight screening is notorious for unearthing some unforgettable short films. From watching Oscar-winning directors getting far too close to witnessing the tale of a girl with an anus for a mouth, if you’re a regular attendee of this highlight of the festival circuit you would have seen it all. The 2023 line-up was no different, as the audience was immersed in worlds overrun with mind controlling parasites and vibrator obsessions, however, when the lights came up in the Alamo Drafthouse there was only one Film on everyone’s lips – Nick Roney’s The Flute. 

The story of a man desperately trying to get over his ex, whilst also trying to navigate his new housemates rather unusual “habits”, Roney’s short is a film that truly pushes its “mature” label to its limits. Things get pretty freaky throughout The Flute’s 10-minute run-time. It’s one of those film’s where you’re desperate to talk about what happens, but also don’t want to spoil the surprise. Some could argue that the short’s title hints at what’s to come, but anyone who’s predicting the surreal situation at the heart of this film has a very creative imagination.

For director Roney the desire to make The Flute was two fold. Firstly, he missed his friends and wanted to create something fun with them. Adding that the last time he “felt free making something” was on the music video for Kim and the Created track Dead to Me, which also happened to feature his three of his buddies – Dan Carr, David Finch & Ed Leer – who also star in this short (Leer also co-wrote the film). Secondly, after directing commercials, Roney found himself questioning his sense of humour and wanted to make a personal short, where he had total creative control.

“I started to question if I even knew what was funny”

“At the start of the pandemic, I directed my first commercials and found myself having long talks with the client about what was funny”, the director reveals as we discuss his motivation to make The Flute. “They wanted me to pull jokes so far back no one would ever react to them. At this point in my career, I had been told no so many times for ideas that were ‘too weird,’ I started to question if I even knew what was funny. I needed to make a personal project and find out for myself. Thankfully directing commercials gave me the means to do it.”

If that commercial work meant that Roney had to reign in his humour, he really lets rip with The Flute. Despite the dark comedy that’s core to the short’s success, this is a film that avoids the common potholes that many similar shorts fall foul of, in that it feels much more than a sketch and is never overwhelmed by its unique premise. I’m sure when it’s discussed (and again, it’s a film you’ll feel an uncontrollable urge to talk about), key moments will be on the tip of everyone’s tongues, but when you look past those attention-grabbing incidents you’ll see a short of incredible execution, brimming with flair.

From that opening sequence, where a sexy photoshoot turns into a framed picture within a box of other personal items in the hands of a man obviously moving house, expectations are set regards to the style and panache to expect within the short (it’s also a highly effective exposition). From that point on, the notable shots/sequences come thick and fast, and even without the impressive FX work, the camera movements are elegant and immersive. Roney honed his directorial talents on a series of impressive music videos (The Flute is his ninth Staff Pick on Vimeo) and puts all he learnt to effective use within this short.

From CGI shots within the human body to the recurring framing from an item’s (a picture frame, a trash can, a mobile phone) PoV, The Flute is the kind of film that deserves multiple viewings, with even simple actions like hanging a key on a hook leaving you puzzling over how they achieved that shot. However, the star of the show here has to be the make-up effects from Chelsea Delfino (who also turned Harry Styles into some kind of man-squid and made The Weeknd look old), whose prosthetic work is out of this world. The design of the titular flute, and its fellow instruments, are images you won’t be able to shake long after watching.

One of the final credits for The Flute sees Roney giving a shout-out to fellow commercial, music video and occasional short film directors – Oscar Hudson, Ian Pons Jewell, etc – and much like those filmmakers, Roney is a creative we’d love to see enter the shorts arena more often, as The Flute is just too damn good.