Written, directed and starring Josh Lawson, The Little Death is an irreverent comedy about sexual fetishes and deviations.
An ensemble piece, the film follows a handful of couples, each with their own quirk in the bedroom. Maeve (Novakovic) tells her partner Paul (Lawson) she has fantasises about being raped, Dan (Herriman) and Evie (Mulvany) try role-play to spice things up, only Dan thinks he’s become the new De Niro in the process, and Phil (Dukes) realises he’s turned on by wife Maureen (McCune) while she’s sleeping, so he starts to drug her.
The Little Death pushes the boundaries but isn’t offensive, and at times the comedy really works. Just when you think the film has gone it a little too far, it plays out into a very fulfilling punchline. Especially at the end.
The acting in The Little Death is authentic and the people feel like they could be living next door, it’s an im pressive ensemble performance from a bunch of breakthrough actors. Let’s just hope Hollywood don’t come sniffing, and we see a remake starring Adam Sandler in the next few years.