Midlands Review of Cheeseburger
midlandsmovies • July 7, 2020
Midlands Review of Cheeseburger
Directed by Scott Driver
2020
A lonely and awkward man trying to find a connection with the world is the subject matter of a new 7 ½ minute short from Midlands director Scott Driver.
A befuddled voice practising an introductory speech to someone opens the short before we cut to a small flat where a man is reheating a burger in the microwave. Dejected he munches on his sad meal for one before sitting down in front of a computer.
In the darkness the man scrolls through internet pictures of a woman before we see her (Holly Turner as Sophie) come online.
Perking up with a smile across his face the man uses instant messenger to confirm a previously arranged meet-up for the coming Saturday. The ellipsis used in online chat ⟨…⟩ which signifies a user is still writing a reply, is filmed in extreme close-up here, helping to emphasise the importance of this interaction to our lead.
The director Scott Driver has previously tackled both dark comedy (Today I Daydreamed That I Killed Tom From Work) and dark drama (Heather) and here we have a melancholic tone with hints upon more serious themes below the surface.
Painfully pulling out nose-hairs and the scrubbing of dental floss, his date preparation is also filmed in close-up as we watch our protagonist meticulously get ready. But looking at his out-of-shape stomach in the mirror leads him to dream of attaining an abdominal ‘six-pack’.
And after some working out, a change of diet and a YouTube dating advice video, we are then whisked to the big day. As our lead walks out his door, his large headphones once again separate him from the real world in a film that explores public and private spaces.
Cheeseburger is very well filmed with a high-quality widescreen image, helped by good compositions in each shot. These are simple but often very meaningful as well. For example, as our lead descends in his building’s elevator, we see him symbolically trapped, even when going outside.
The film questions how the constant emphasis on the perfect image puts added duress on people especially those who may be more introspective or withdrawn. The lead actor Luke Boyden-Jones does especially well, shouldering almost the entire short. He plays the role fantastically as a man with legitimate worries without the character being either self-indulgent or pitiful.
In the end though, Cheeseburger is a successful short that delves into a world of online dating and the difficulties that go with it. Cleverly probing social and online pressures with a simple but effective story, the short film makes you sympathetic towards the lead and is relatable to anyone wanting to make a good first impression.
And a satisfying finale ends with some hope that despite all the above, things will eventually be alright in this world, keeping up an audience’s morale without cheesy sentimentality.
Michael Sales
On Sunday 26th April Midlands Movies Editor Michael Sales & awards ceremony co-host Ed Stagg (BBC Radio) announced the nominations for the 2026 Midlands Movies Awards live from the Queen of Bradgate Vintage Cinema in Leicester. A big thanks was given to the entire Jury Panel of industry experts who gave up their precious time to watch a huge selection of creative projects and as always, had a difficult time choosing from the excellent number of films from the region. You can read the full list of nominations across all 16 categories below and watch our announcement videos here: Part 1 & Part 2 And please also check out our great awards partner Chrome Video Best Actress in a Leading Role Karendip Phull for Family Kate Bracken for The Lace Rachel Baker for Throwing Fruit Chloe Wade for How Long Sophie Bullock for Ma Prison Best Animated Film Of All the Things by Steff Lee Big Red by James Pyle Statue in the Garden by Qianhui Yu Butterfly by Jacob Christie Best Director Luke Worrall for The Waterline Lily Portman for Quiet Jack Richardson for Daniel’s Room Jonathan Hawes for Sorry We’re Closed Sophia Dall'Aglio for Man from Mars Best Documentary Nothing's Impossible by Jacob Thomas McClean A Birmingham Symphony by Jemma Saunders We Bring Light: Leicester's Diwali Legacy by Kieran Vyas The Sunshine Café by Jill Lampert Through the Viewfinder by William North Best Sound (Editing or Mixing) Neil Evans & his team for Artificial Insanity Alasdair Gretton for Dead on Distribution Deepanjali Patel for Earworm David Hamilton-Smith for The Pause Heidi Wilson for Of All The Things Best Actor in a Supporting Role Devon Junior for Lazar Tim Sparrow for Safety Net Shaiek Ahmed Rana for Family Luke Rollason for Quiet Peter Willoughby for A Story of Spring Best Visual & Special Effects Jake Wesley-Worrall for Soul Trader Steve Askey & team for The Correction Unit Nick Willett, Matt Burkey & Jayne Hyman for Black Goat JaqD SFX MUA, Mind Magic Studios and Ben Harker for Beyond the Witching Hour Pete Key, Jai Blanks and Jacob Christie for Countenance Best Cinematography Gary Rogers for The Pause Laurence Mason-Guetta for Sorry We’re Closed Ian Snape for Soul Trader Ash Connaughton for Daniel’s Room Duane Adamoli for Surfing (nominations continue below...)
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