Wrong Date Night

Directed by Hayden Sterland

2026

Hayden Sterland says in the media pack for his short film, Wrong Date Night, a re-edited version of his final university project, that he wanted to prove that you do not need a massive crew to make a film. He proved it.

The slightly tongue-in-check credits list has him doing everything apart from acting in the film, and the blooper reel at the end sees him adopt each of the ‘characters’ he needed to be to complete everything from gaffer duties through to directing.

The result is a light but accomplished comedy about a couple (Matthew Randall and Kirsty Nolan) attempting to make it out of the house for their first date night since the birth of their son. Missing phones, a full bag of sweets and the resulting dodgy stomach, late babysitters and door-to-door salesman all hamper their progress.

Sterland navigates the house with an almost docu-drama style. The camera moves through rooms to follow the characters, the static shots that are only interrupted by a pan. In fact, while there are cuts throughout, the whole film feels like a single take and that’s a credit to Sterland and the cast.

Randall and Nolan are great in the lead roles, with easy chemistry that comes across on screen. They’re matched by a younger cast, who deliver the pitter-patter script with gusto. Sterland shows himself to be a dab hand at writing comedy, with nearly every joke landing (and he makes sure to cram plenty in there) and being delivered in a natural style.

In fact, if you were going to pick at the film a little, it has too many jokes, meaning that some of the best aren’t given enough room to breathe. When Nolan delivers the line ‘I see he’s still mixing up his Bs and Ws’, we’re quickly onto the next line, meaning you never quite get chance to give it the guffaw it deserves. There are other examples of this, especially in the dry humour of Randall.

It’s the sign of an exuberant, young filmmaker. Every idea making it on to the page, and hopefully audience reactions to the film will indicate where a little bit of silence (even if the scenario would not call for silence) could help emphasise the best jokes in the script.

It’s difficult to talk about the ending sequence. For starters, I don’t want to give out any spoilers. Secondly, it is crucial to the plot and so suggesting any changes could entirely change the film. However, it is where some of the wires show. Nothing major, and all relatively easy fixes.

Much of this is to do with the lighting. Once the family move outside of the house, you can see where different takes were used, and shots were filmed out of order. It’s incredibly dark as they move from the car to the restaurant, but once they are in the restaurant, you can see that it’s dusk. It’s also where the frantic pace starts to wear a little bit, with less focus on the back and forth between the couple. It builds to a nice payoff, but there is a lull.

These are all easy fixes though, and the fact that Sterland has pulled this together with only him behind the scenes is a testament to his skill and passion. With a little more time, and the feedback he receives from Wrong Date Night, he could be a real star in the Midlands.

★★★½

3.5 / 5

Matthew Tilt

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/tiltmatthew90/