‘Bed and Breakfast’ Short Explores the Dark Side of Subletting

By: J. Carlos Menjivar

In the age of the internet how we communicate and meet other people has drastically changed. It is often very difficult to tell whether the people we meet on the internet are “real” and not posing as somebody else. However, taking up a cyber persona is one thing but even more disconcerting are the malevolent individuals posing in a way that would ensnare unsuspecting victims for evil deeds.

Nevertheless, how we purchase goods or services has changed as well. Many of us entrust big name online retailers, but sometimes we rely on the honesty of others to nab a deal on a used car, books, furniture, etc. Subletting has been another service that has risen in prominence with things like AirBnB, and as scandalous news reports have proposed, you can’t really trust the malevolent people that misuse technology to defraud or injure others.

Bed and Breakfast, the short film by Craig Moncur, is a cautionary tale about the pitfalls of the internet and the consequence of wholly trusting faceless individuals. A man (played by Gareth Morrison) writes up an online ad to sublet an extra room in his flat, emphasizing that he needs a short term roomie. A woman (played by Stacey Mitchell) responds to the ad and shows up with interest in the room, but it doesn’t take too long for things to turn for the worse.  Bed and Breakfast takes a look at the consequences that befall our overconfidence with technology and how it can turn against us when placed in the hands of human beings. We know where the short film is going to end up, but the film’s polished look and timely subject matter makes for an enjoyable eight-minute film.

The eight-minute short Bed and Breakfast is available to watch for free on YouTube (check it out below). The film is produced by MoMo Productions and directed by Craig Moncur from a script by Moncur and Gareth MorrisonBed and Breakfast stars Gareth Morrison and Stacey Mitchell.

Keep the Fear Alive!