Ed

‘Ed’ Short Film Review: The Hollowness of Addiction [SFF 25] FilmSpeak ReviewText

‘Ed’ isn’t the first film to tackle the subject of porn addiction among young males. In fact, the 2013 romantic comedy Don Jon that was written, directed, and starring Joseph Gordon Levitt tackled the same topic with a similar approach. Much like Ed, the premise of Don Jon was relatively simple in that it centered on the addiction to porn it’s titular character Jon Martello (Levitt) suffered from to a point where it denied him the ability to be intimate or even sociably functional. However, Don Jon was a comedy where eventually, although it didn’t end on a traditional romcom note, you could count on it carrying an optimism that felt more authentic while still giving a decent middle finger to all the superficial Hollywood BS that paints much of what is considered a romantic comedy. Ed On the other hand is a much darker take on the more horrifically hollow road an addiction to porn can lead, and the fantastic performance writer, director, and lead star Victor Del Rio gives brings that message to the forefront of what is a very critical matter in today’s culture.

As stated, much like Don Jon, Ed’s premise is simple in terms of how it centers on Ed (Victor Del Rio), a college student who suffers from a porn addiction. Within seconds of the raw and beautifully captured close up angles and engrossing cinematography, the film portrays Ed losing himself in the sheer ecstasy of imagery with women whom he has no emotional association with, while the unnerving feeling that this film promises is delivered in showing a story of a man who falls victim to demons he tries to hide from his friends, and even the girl he’s seen staring at while in class. Sadly, as much as Sami (Jackie McCarthy) attempts to be intimate with Ed on his own birthday, her efforts, and even those of his friends...