Serafima Serafimova
Sexual fantasies rarely live up to expectations when put into practice. But Sam Baron’s (Windscreenwiperman) latest romcom, The Orgy, doesn’t disappoint. Loaded with fantastic writing, well-drawn characters and skilled performances, the star-studded short doesn’t race towards an anticlimactic punchline, like many comedy sketches often do. Instead, it takes its time and satisfies the audience by allowing the narrative nuances to unravel and the characters to flourish, setting the tone for a cleverly conceived and very funny watch, destined for a much longer screen time than its mere fifteen minutes. A good thing, since the film is being developed into a TV series by Clerkenwell Films (The End Of The F***ing World).
With layers penetrating deeper than your standard thinly-crafted comedy, The Orgy raises a celebratory fist for all underdogs and thoroughly enjoys taking the mickey out of the giddy mess that is adulthood, safeguarding against melancholy and cheesy one-liners with beat-perfect jokes and a tender directorial touch. Oh, and some wipe-clean furniture covers, just to be on the safe side…
Amit Shah (R) as @i_got_wood78 – a man so desperate for a romantic connection he attends his first orgy.
The story follows a lonely, heartbroken man, known as @i_got_wood78, who attends his first orgy in the hope of finding a human connection to help him get over the recent split from his wife. Needless to say, it doesn’t all quite go as planned, but despite a rather unsuccessful handjob and a few awkward interactions with the scantily clad orgygoers, he meets a friendly face (@TheVicarsDaughter) that might just be what he’s looking for.
“The expectations are so high, and the potential for embarrassment is so huge”
“I wanted to make a comedy about feeling like you don’t belong – the feeling you get when you start a new job or a new school or walk into a party where you don’t know anyone” – Baron shared with S/W – “An orgy seemed like the ultimate version of that. The expectations are so high, and the potential for embarrassment is so huge – the tension would be unbearable, and that vulnerable agony is what I hoped to capture, in all its comic glory.”
Despite the formidable cast, made up of some of the best comedy actors the UK currently has to offer (shout out to casting director Lauren Evans), The Orgy could’ve easily been a flop. After all, great comedy is notoriously difficult to pull off, but Baron, producer Tilly Coulson (who was also executive producer on S/W pick F*ck) and their team have done some smart manoeuvring and avoided venturing into cheesy or slapstick waters. They have also managed to successfully bring so many strong characters together, and allowed plenty of elbow room for them to shine and for us to fall for their charm.
Dustin Demri-Burns (L) and Amit Shah – just two of the recognisable faces in The Orgy.
As expected from the high calibre of the actors, the performances are a delight. Amit Shah (Crashing) is luminously good. Funny, painfully awkward and heart-warming all at once, he holds the audience under his spell from the very first scene to the last, and the moment he breaks the fourth wall by gazing straight at the camera is pure, electrifying magic. If magic was accompanied by the groans and moans of multiple people having sexual intercourse that is.
All the characters, even the minor ones have an undeniable appeal. @TheVicarsDaughter, played by Alexandra Roach (Pregnant Pause) is simultaneously seductive and nurturing, and the few facts we learn about her character carry a sense of a multi-layered backstory which intrigues. We also meet Kerry Godliman (Derek), whose obsession with cleanliness and hygiene, paired with the barely concealed loathing for her husband and the event she’s hosting, is both ingenious and hilarious. These are all potent characters who live and breathe a life of their own – a life I, for one, can’t wait to watch unfold on the small screen.
With so much to love and enjoy, The Orgy is a rare treat that promises a lot and delivers even more, and the final result is nothing short of orgasmic.