Thirsty Review
Oh, forbidden love; a common trope in love stories of any genre of film. There are many love stories told from the perspective of the “monster” who is forbidden from loving the beautiful human. Oftentimes these stories are much more serious and have a larger message they try to convey. Thirsty, is not that. Directed by Nicole Delaney and written by Delaney and Sonya Goddy, Thirsty is about a mosquito (voiced by Maya Rudolph) that falls in love with a man (Jay Ellis) after tasting his blood. The mosquito struggles with the thought of knowing that she will never be able to love the man the way she wants because she is not a human. Thirsty is light, surprisingly funny, and an interesting take on this form of forbidden love because it never takes itself too seriously.
The biggest reason this film is so light and doesn’t take itself too seriously comes from Delaney and Goddy’s writing. The story itself, a mosquito falling in love with her host, is already funny enough, but the situations the man finds himself in and the twist toward the end are almost so ridiculous that you have to laugh. The main premise of the film is obviously the relationship between the mosquito and the man, but the background story is of the man breaking up with his girlfriend because she cheated on him. He gets advice from his friend who is hysterically blunt with him, along with the mosquito’s commentary as she follows him around, calling his ex-girlfriend expletives as well. The terms the mosquito uses to describe the man are also hilarious, particularly when she calls him a “big ole juice box” just as she’s about to suck his blood. The comedy not only lightens the mood of the film but boosts the hilarity in an already funny situation.
Going along with the comedy of this film, Jay Ellis and Maya Rudolph are (as can be expected), great in their performances. Ellis is the one we see as the man and he does a great job even for how limited he is. He’s funny when needed and curious when he starts paying attention to the mosquito that’s following him around. Maya, although it’s just voice work, is incredible in this film. She does her own slurping effects, her insults have bite, and you can sense her emotion all from her voice.
The cinematography is ultimately the star of this film, particularly, the camera’s use of perspective. Cinematographer John Wakayama Carey uses arial shots to shoot from the perspective of the mosquito. What makes these shots so amazing is that they aren’t limited to only when the mosquito is around the man. We see expansive shots when the mosquito is flying around looking for him. We see entire basketball courts and beaches, but there are also tight spaces like bathrooms and watching through a window. Just like flying insects, these shots are not still. Along with the buzzing we hear when the mosquito is in flight, the camera’s movements are unsteady. When the mosquito is swatted away, the entire camera flies out of control trying to reorient itself. Carey gives the mosquito life through this form of cinematography.
Nicole Delaney’s short film is a humorous and intriguing look at forbidden love. Her use of finding love from a parasitic relationship is brilliant and her direction is spot on. Thirsty was featured on FXX’s anthology television series Cake and went on to be nominated for Best International Short at the Toronto International Film Festival.
