The Best Medicine

Directed by Alex Yousefi

2026

Ask Seek Knock Productions

An uncomfortable and unsettling encounter with a couple of doctors is the premise of a new Midlands comedy short film from filmmaker Alex Yousefi who gives us a lighthearted look at an awkward medical moment.

Shot in Wolverhampton with a local crew, The Best Medicine begins with Doctor Finn (Jason J Greenwood) explaining to a patient about his broken ribs. His younger colleague Craig (Sam Powell) is asked to have a guess at recovery time and provides a rather long 18-month prognosis. 

Their patient is “Lunchbox” (Gavin Fraser) who wishes a speedier improvement time, but their peculiar therapy proposals range from revealing a strange contraption to singing a tuneful ditty.

And Dr. Finn goes to even more extreme measures to demonstrate the effectiveness of his “Chucklematic” machine, whilst the two remember some rather more unsavoury practices from the past.

Produced by Luke Allen (a filmmaker in his own right) and Cassie Smyth, the short takes a very literal interpretation of the old adage “the healing power of laughter”.

The jokes come quickly during its 11-minutes and reminded me of the style of the Horrible Histories TV show. So we get a mix of cheesy situations, over-the-top performances and a number of pun-heavy punchlines. Although not massively to my taste in a subjective sense, it seemed mostly pitched at a young-ish audience, where the gags are harmless in tone.

The film is shot and edited well, with a clear image and solid lighting for a low-budget short. Strangely, the edges of the image are somewhat warped which looked a bit odd and seemed to come from lens choice. You'll mostly not notice no doubt, but it felt strange as characters “thinned-out” as they reached the edge of the frame.

As the doctors continue to discuss their methods, the suggestions of a cure get increasingly bizarre with the script spinning off into surreal territory amongst the whimsical japes, all delivered by the actors in an inoffensive manner.

Fans of “groaner” comedy, where laughs come as equally as much as eye-rolls, will have a little fun with The Best Medicine. But it’s a short where your enjoyment may come from your particular comedy predilections. Overall, it’s ultimately a safe dose of healthy silliness, and one which attempts to find amusement amongst ailments. And if that's your thing, it will certainly cheer you up if you’re feeling under the weather.

★★★

3 / 5

Michael Sales

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