Wasp

2003 0h 26m EN

👍

7.2

SOLID

★7.2TMDB · 149

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Zoë is a single mother who lives with her four children in Dartford. She is poor and can't afford to buy food. One day her old flame drives by and asks her to go on a date with him. Scared that he doesn't want to go out with her, she lies and tells him that she is just babysitting the kids. This will be her first date in years.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Natalie Press
Zoë
Jodie Mitchell
Kelly
Molly Griffiths
Sinead
Kaitlyn Raynor
Leanne
Danny Dyer
Dave
Danny Daley
Kai
Lizzie Colbert
Bullet-Head
Ashley Routledge
Brown Haired-Girl

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Andrea Arnold
Writers: Andrea Arnold
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 6

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 26-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 6

ERA

Did you know

Released 23 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 6

ERA

Did you know

Directed by Andrea Arnold, shot by Robbie Ryan. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 6

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Nicolas Chaudeurge shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 6

CAST

Did you know

Natalie Press and Jodie Mitchell and Molly Griffiths carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 6

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0388534 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Andrea Arnold directs. Robbie Ryan behind the camera. Nicolas Chaudeurge cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 26-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
2Released 23 years ago.
3Directed by Andrea Arnold, shot by Robbie Ryan. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Editor Nicolas Chaudeurge shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Natalie Press and Jodie Mitchell and Molly Griffiths carry the top of the cast.
6IMDB entry: tt0388534 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Robbie Ryan
Editing: Nicolas Chaudeurge
Production design: Helen Scott
Costume design: Merryn Conaway
Makeup / hair: Merryn Conaway
Runtime: 26 min · 0h 26m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: Wasp (2003)

Awards

Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Andrea Arnold

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2024-04-13
★ 7/10
This is quite a difficult short drama to watch without making judgements. Indeed, right from the start when "Zoë" (Natalie Press) drags her four kids round to a neighbour for a bit of a scrap, you wonder if maybe she's the best person to be looking after four young children. A quick tour of her kitchen demonstrates that she hasn't two pennies to rub together, but when she encounters her old friend "Dave" (Danny Dyer) who wants to meet for a drink and game of pool, she seems to find a fiver and decide that's her evening priority. The kids are left outside the pub whilst she has an half, then parked out of sight whilst she has a snog in his car. This is where the eponymous insect makes it's presence felt, there is some screaming, some chips and a drive. The question would have to be. If she lived next door would you empathise for her needing to be treated as a woman as well as a mother, or would you be onto social services to complain about neglect? "Zoë" clearly cares for her children, but at what point is it legitimate for her to care for herself too - even if that does mean they are very temporarily abandoned. The hand held camerawork gives this quite a potent degree of intimacy and it is quite a thought-provoker.

Production companies