I probably watch an unhealthy amount of media as a hobby – with short films being a form I have greatly enjoyed returning to in the last year or so. Part of the reason for this is that I am able to watch without any knowledge of the film, with only a reasonable quality filter of Vimeo picks or a trusted blog to protect me – in this way I can just give over 10 minutes to see what the film has for me. Occasionally this disappoints, mostly it provides good quality work of interest, but sometimes it really catches me off guard – and this was the case with Next Door.The film opens with a man spying on his neighbor from the comfort of his impeccably white and controlled home; as he takes a call from his mother, something starts to unfold outside, and we quickly get an understanding of the bigger picture outside of his door. Within this world we have a sort of love story unfold and this is the focal point as we see the main character go on a journey. Both aspects of the film are really well done, but it is the love story that really provides a lot in terms of humor, narrative motion, and honesty. There is a sort of reality dating show that the main character is seen watching twice during the film, and both times it is significant. The first is that we see a typical contestant suddenly declare he has a connection with this perfect girl – albeit in a contained environment, under scrutiny, and under the influence of drink. In the same way we see the main "love" play out – with Nevin very much taken by the idea of this girl outside of the reality; it is a fantasy reinforced by the sequence where he stands outside his own reality for a time. In the end, the reality of this "love" provides a very satisfying conclusion to the film, which is refreshingly honest but yet not what I saw coming.It is oft said that the best sci-fi's are built on good ideas rather than expensive effects, and that is true here. The word outside the windows probably would not stand up to a lot of scrutiny, but it is a great frame to present within, and the effects are surprisingly effective and well used – while the design of the main set is really good and helps set the tone for the film. The control on this tone though, is the thing I found most impressive; it is absurd, dark, comedic, romantic, honest, callous, and depressing – but yet it seems to manage them all at the same time so it never feels uneven or variable as a short; it is impressive in this way. The cast get this too – in particular Regal is spot-on and well directed.Really great short film which has many good ideas and makes them work together to create an ultimately simple but satisfying character arc within this darkly comedic short film.