Everyone Forgot (2022)

Lily, Anwen Bull (“British Made”, “Built to Be (Short)”), isn’t having the best of days. She sits in her house, which she appears to have just moved to, in her pyjamas and checks her phone for notifications…there are none.

This is upsetting and things get even more so when she calls her mum who also doesn’t register anything special about the day, which is surprising, for today is Lily’s birthday.

Lily calls a handyman and Ben arrives, James Knapp, for what is probably his strangest ever gig. Lily doesn’t have work for him, instead she just wants to ‘hang out’ and she begins by getting him to sing happy birthday to her over a cake, a 40th birthday cake.

At first, as you’d expect, it’s a bit weird, but then Ben begins to get into it and even starts enjoying himself. He helps her get her house in order whilst they share some beers and cake.

As Ben is sounding off about how he’d be on social media and calling everyone out for forgetting, Lily receives a phone call from someone. It sounds like a friend but things begin to suddenly turn sinister.

Perhaps all is not as it seems, perhaps there’s a reason that everyone has forgotten Lily’s birthday and perhaps, just perhaps, Ben will find out something he’d rather not have known.

Everyone Forgot is written and directed by Theo Kai Marlow (“The Most Savage Wedding Ever (Short)”) with Jack Lawrence as story consultant.

It plays out almost like an extended trailer at times and, despite the overall storyline, there are some lovely dark comedic touches thrown in.
Anwen Bull, who sent us the short movie to review, gives a wonderful performance. Her character, Lily, is a very ‘it girl’ in her way of speaking and mannerisms which, when coupled with her dark secret, provides Bull with some great moments to play off which she does brilliantly.

Knapp meanwhile, who has a certain Mackenzie Crook look about him, is a great opposite to Bull and the pair bounce off each other wonderfully.

Other than Everyone Forgot being slightly predictable, I found I got there before the reveal, it’s a wonderful short movie that the trio, and everyone else involved in, should be proud of.