H*le 2024 Short Film by Nick Beardslee

Watch H*le (2024), Nick Beardslee’s new comedy short film. Dive into hilarious laughs with this must-see 2024 short. Don’t miss it!

🕳️ H*le (2024) — Comedy Short Film by Nick Beardslee

A five‑minute burst of awkward intimacy and surreal humor, H*le (stylized with an asterisk) takes a single, ridiculous relationship question and stretches it into a full‑blown identity crisis. Written and directed by Nick Beardslee, this short proves you can build a whole world — and a lot of laughs — around one tiny, mysterious… omission.

🧭 Overview

• Genre: Comedy / Relationship Satire
• Director & Writer: Nick Beardslee
• Story by: Nick Beardslee & Michael Calciano
• Producers: Nick Beardslee · Will Colacito · Jose Useche
• Cast:
  • Emily DeForest as Katie 💭
  • Josh Strobl as Dylan 🙃
  • Jose Useche as Julian
  • Julian Manjerico as Maddie
  • Maddie Eaton as Andrew
  • Andrew Cekala as ? (supporting)
• Cinematography: Will Colacito 🎥
• Production Design: Blake Griffey
• Editing & Score: Nick Beardslee
• Runtime: ~5:46 minutes
• Country: United States 🇺🇸
• Language: English
• Premiere: May 2024 — Maryland Film Festival
• Also known as: Hole
• Festival spotlight: Featured on the European Film Academy’s Vimeo showcase

Watch full short:

📖 Story in Brief

Katie has been dating Dylan for a while. Things are fine… until one day, she realizes something unsettling: she’s never seen his hole.

Not a hole. His hole.

From there, the thought burrows into her mind like an earworm:

• Why hasn’t she seen it?
• Is he hiding it on purpose?
• Does everyone have one?
• Is she weird for caring?

Her curiosity spirals into obsession, leading to increasingly awkward conversations with friends, strangers, and Dylan himself. The more she pushes, the more absurd the situation becomes — until the “hole” becomes a stand‑in for every unspoken thing in a relationship.

🎨 Creative DNA & Style

• Deadpan delivery: The comedy comes from treating the bizarre premise with total seriousness.
• Tight framing: Close‑ups heighten the intimacy and awkwardness.
• Muted color palette: Keeps the focus on expressions and timing.
• Quick pacing: At under six minutes, every beat lands fast and clean.
• Sound cues: Minimal score, letting silences and pauses do the comedic heavy lifting.

✅ Pros & ❌ Cons

Pros

• 🎯 High‑concept hook: One weird question drives the whole plot.
• 😂 Relatable absurdity: Anyone who’s fixated on a partner’s quirk will get it.
• 🎭 Strong comedic timing: Emily DeForest nails Katie’s mix of curiosity and frustration.
• 🏆 Festival‑friendly: Short, sharp, and memorable.

Cons

• ⏳ Ultra‑short runtime: Leaves you wanting more escalation.
• 🌀 Ambiguity: The “hole” is never fully explained — which is the point, but may frustrate literalists.

🌟 Themes & Resonance

• Curiosity vs. boundaries: How much do we need to know about the people we love?
• Relationship mysteries: Every couple has their “thing” they don’t talk about.
• Absurdism as truth: The sillier the premise, the closer it can get to real emotional dynamics.

👥 Who Is It For?

• Comedy short fans: Especially those who love awkward, surreal humor.
• Festival audiences: Viewers who appreciate quick, high‑concept storytelling.
• Relationship satire lovers: Anyone who’s ever overthought something small.

💡 Humanized Takeaway

H*le 2024 short film is proof that you don’t need a big budget or sprawling plot to make something memorable. Beardslee takes a single, strange thought and plays it straight, letting the audience squirm, laugh, and maybe even recognize their own “holes” — the little mysteries we never solve about each other.

🔍 Find More & Watch

• IMDb page for H*le — full cast, crew, and production details.
• European Film Academy profile — synopsis and streaming link.
• Letterboxd entry — reviews and festival notes.