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Film: Great Choice

Director: Robin Comisar (2017)

Genre: Horror Comedy, Analog Horror

 

Why You Should Watch It:

 

Award-winning fever dream short that will make you never want to eat at Red Lobster or do drugs again.

 

Like so many other indie horror gems, I discovered Great Choice through a late-night doom scroll of TikTok. I had never heard of it before, but the preview looked right up my alley in terms of unsettling stories with creepy, nostalgic vibes. At around seven minutes long, this fever dream of a short film takes you on an unexpected journey through a cursed Red Lobster commercial that may or may not be a gateway to hell. I watched this twice in a row and I’m going to watch it again because I’m sure there are a few things that I missed.

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Filmed in that vintage, analog horror style of VHS, found footage grittiness, Great Choice does an excellent job of propelling you into the past and unlocking memories you didn’t even know you had. Shot to look like an early 1990’s-style commercial, we follow a woman who slowly realizes that she is stuck in a Red Lobster commercial promoting thirty shrimp for just $10.99. The villain? A super smiley, charming and ultimately terrifying waiter who has to say the lines “Great Choice” at all costs.

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As per usual in these fever dream sort of films, things quickly go sideways as we follow the characters who realize they are stuck in a Groundhog Day sort of situation. Things get bloody, the storyline goes off the rails, and ultimately, you wonder if the main character will ever break free from her shrimp buffet of purgatory. Ultimately, this film is a parable for real life horrors and struggles, and leaves you with an ending that questions whether the lines have blurred between reality and Red Lobster hell.

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I really enjoy short horror films, and feel especially excited when I discover horror shorts that may have fallen under the radar. If you aren’t regularly checking out film festivals, then you may have missed this one that took home best horror comedy at the Overlook Film Festival. Great Choice is currently not widely available to stream online, but appears to make the rounds at film festivals now and then. If you get a chance and can find this little gem, strap in, bring your lobster bib, and get ready to question whether or not you really want that order of thirty shrimp for only $10.99.