The New Tenants

2009 0h 20m EN

😐

5.9

MID

★5.9TMDB · 35

ComedyCrime

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A prying neighbor, a glassy-eyed drug dealer, and a husband brandishing both a weapon and a vendetta make up the welcome wagon. Set amidst the as-yet-unopened boxes and the hopes for a fresh start of two men on what might just be the worst moving day ever. Their new apartment reveals its terrifying history in a film that is by turns funny, frightening, and unexpectedly romantic.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

David Rakoff
Frank
Jamie Harrold
Pete
Vincent D'Onofrio
Jan
Kevin Corrigan
Zelko
Helen Hanft
Grandma
Liane Balaban
Irene

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Joachim Back
Writers: Anders Thomas Jensen
Languages: English
Countries: Denmark, United States of America

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 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 20-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 17 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Denmark, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Joachim Back, shot by Paweł Edelman. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Laurent Parisi. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

ERA

Did you know

David Rakoff and Jamie Harrold and Vincent D'Onofrio carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt1520428 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Joachim Back directs. Paweł Edelman behind the camera. Laurent Parisi scores. Russell Icke cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Denmark, United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 20-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
2Released 17 years ago.
3International production across 2 countries: Denmark, United States of America.
4Directed by Joachim Back, shot by Paweł Edelman. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Laurent Parisi. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Russell Icke shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7David Rakoff and Jamie Harrold and Vincent D'Onofrio carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt1520428 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 35 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Paweł Edelman
Original score: Laurent Parisi
Editing: Russell Icke
Production design: Janet Kim
Costume design: Kasia Walicka Maimone
Makeup / hair: Gerald DeCock
Sound: Claire Bell
Runtime: 20 min · 0h 20m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: The New Tenants (2009)

Awards

Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film

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

Also by

Joachim Back

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2024-03-22
★ 7/10
"Peter" (Jamie Harrold) and "Frank" (David Rakoff) are having one of those love/hate conversations in their new apartment when an elderly neighbour arrives asking for some flour. They've barely unpacked, but "Peter" finds some in the apartment that belonged to the previous occupant - whom we learn came to a sticky end! Settling down to some of the deceased man's potato chips, another visitor descends on them. He's "Jan" (Vincent D'Onofrio) who reckons that someone has been having it away with his wife! Maybe he's not the most deductively astute man? Anyway, he stays for a fairly surreal chat before the arrival of their third visitor. "Zelko" (Kevin Corrigan) introduces an whole new level of comedy menace to the proceedings and by now, maybe the guys had wished they'd set up home in Folsom Prison! I didn't love the tightly photographed (eyes only) monologue at the start, but as this builds up an head of steam it turns into quite an amusing black comedy that's just a little suitably brutal at the end. It even teaches us how to make cinnamon buns, too!

Production companies