Céline Roustan
The story of a female taxidermist with a strong desire to stuff someone probably already sounds like an odd enough premise right? But wait, there’s more…it’s also a musical!! Ramping up the WTF levels to the max, on paper Theo Rhys and Joss Holden-Rea’s (co-writer) Stuffed may present itself as a very risky gamble, but on-screen this incredibly accomplished short expertly balances genre, comedy and music to amplify the emotional beats of its compelling narrative.
Given the improbability of its premise, we really didn’t know what to expect when we asked Rhys about the inspiration behind Stuffed and we were certainly surprised by his answer. Explaining that it was the story of German cannibal Armin Meiwes, aka the Rotenburg Cannibal, that formed the initial spark, the fact that he found someone online who wanted to be eaten really stuck with the director. As he viewed this news story from a lens that captured two people with unconventional (illegal in this case) desires, finding one another.
“There’s a huge amount of tenderness in planning something so life-changing – it’s almost romantic”
When penning the screenplay and songs with Holden-Rea (music & lyrics), the emotional facet of the story was the driving force behind the process, as they wanted to focus on two characters coming together to do something irreparable. “Amidst the horror of these two people coming together to do something macabre, there’s a huge amount of tenderness in planning something so life-changing – it’s almost romantic”, Rhys shares. “We loved thinking about what happened between the two people on the eve of doing something so life-changing”.
For non-musical aficionados, the tone had to be just right to create a universe where the dialogue and the songs blend perfectly without feeling contrived and Rhys and Holden-Rea certainly found the perfect balance. The music is strangely effective, driving the narrative with an entertaining and enthralling pacing, while the lyrics are sharply written, fostering an atmosphere that allows the audience to see beyond the weird and macabre act about to be performed. In fact, it’s through the lyrics we actually begin to perceive the emotions of the two main characters, as they finally come together and cement (or should that be stuff!) their bond.
Anthony Young (L) and Alison Fitzjohn as Araminta and Bernie, Stuffed’s odd couple.
Alongside the impressive music, lyrics and premise of Stuffed, the craftsmanship from the rest of the crew is just as remarkable, with the film’s exaggerated aesthetic complementing the bizarre nature of the narrative and making the film all the more entertaining. From the set design to the make-up and costumes, every single detail contributes to how beautiful and captivating the cinematography is, its movement helping the audience to surrender to the wild ride the film is. And of course, the responsibility to seal the deal here fell on the shoulders of actors Alison Fitzjohn and Anthony Young. Both are amazing as Araminta and Bernie, making this insane premise compelling, while subtly (yes it is possible in a musical) revealing the vulnerabilities and desires of their characters. Their performances injecting Stuffed with a necessary hint of dark humor, while their chemistry almost makes us forget about why they met in the first place.
Stuffed started its festival journey at the 2021 edition of SXSW where it won a Special Jury Recognition for Bold Vision in the Midnight Shorts Awards. Rhys and Holden-Rea are currently developing a few new projects, with another musical thriller, a couple of horror shorts and a feature adaptation of Stuffed, in the works