South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival – Simple concept and concise direction hone in on the story of a young married couple who struggle to agree about a mysterious red orb that has appeared in their new home. Passing it off as a simple retinal burn, Paul (Matt Micucci) scoffs as his wife Abby (Autumn Hanna) repeatedly turns the hall light on… and off… and on… and off… 

Their marital tension is its own unique character in this mysterious tale, providing meaning and nuance to the title itself. Is the “Significant Other” the otherworldly presence in the home? Is it the resentment and trauma we carry inside us? In a perfect mirror to the marital stress, the scene set is intimate and layered – a small simple set defined with mood lighting is the only location of Significant Other. For all intents and purposes the film takes place in a hallway – in limbo – in transition. Another perfect metaphor for the story being told.

Classically spooky but with a modern twist, Significant Other leaves us with more questions than answers. With a runtime of a mere five minutes, Significant Other is packed with visual scares and imagery that will stick in your memory. The kinds of things that you think you see in the dark of your bedroom late at night – that’s the makings of Significant Other. Proof, I suppose, that you can never really trust your eyes – or perhaps, more importantly, that you should. Whether it makes sense or not. Seeing is believing.

Significant Other reviewed as part of our South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival coverage.

6 out of 10