Ennui

A mysterious mime takes matters into his own hands to help a woman deal with her douchebag boyfriend.

  • Jacob McKee
    Director
  • Jacob McKee
    Writer
  • MJ Okon
    Producer
  • Nicholas Di Prima
    Key Cast
  • Terrence J. Smith
    Key Cast
  • Alexandria Joy
    Key Cast
  • Nile Dokes
    Director of Photography
  • Brandon Walker
    Editor
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Horror
  • Runtime:
    5 minutes 55 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    July 18, 2024
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Black & White and Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Savannah College of Art and Design
Director Biography - Jacob McKee

Pronouns: He/They. Writer, director, and producer based in Atlanta, GA. Current Film & Television MFA candidate at Savannah College of Art and Design (Atlanta campus). Jacob started his career working in theatre, but film has always been his first love. He's been making movies since he could hold his first camcorder, and writing stories since he knew how to form letters on the page. As a queer filmmaker, he's passionate about bringing LGBTQ+ stories even further to the forefront in all areas of the film industry. His Letterboxd is @yakobmckee.

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Director Statement

One of the very first things I had to do in high school was dress up like a mime and not speak for an entire day.

This was tradition, you see, for anyone who wanted to join my high school's drama club. It was part of what we all affectionately referred to as "hell week," a sort of... light hazing, if you will, but Mime Day – which always fell on a Tuesday, for whatever reason – was my favorite. As the kid who couldn't shut up, I became fascinated by these people who took the art I loved so much – performance, storytelling – and did it without a word.

When I was first dipping my toes into the horror genre, first trying to find a story to tell, I knew it wouldn't be possible if I didn't have a monster that compelled me. I thought about hockey masks and knife fingers and wondered what else there was to unearth in this genre. How could I find a unique monster, a character to tell a story through that really stuck out from the crowd? I thought of the clowny visage of Jigsaw, of Art from TERRIFIER and the killer clowns from outer space, and I remembered Mime Day. "There are so many killer clowns," I thought, "but has there ever been a killer MIME?"

Well, now there has: Ennui is here. I think, perhaps, my affection for him – and mimes in general – can be felt through the story, and that's okay. At the end of the day, monsters in horror movies can save us, just like Ennui is trying to save Jackie in this little short. I hope he brings you a smile!