Private Project

Not All Men

A couple on the brink of divorce escape to a luxury Airbnb in hopes of salvaging their marriage, but their getaway takes a terrifying turn when a masked man appears outside their rental.

  • Adrian Todd Zuniga
    Director
    Hold Me, Don't Touch Me
  • Adrian Todd Zuniga
    Writer
    Hold Me, Don't Touch Me
  • Jonathon Buckley
    Key Cast
    "Lloyd"
    Station 19, Siberia, Translogic
  • Sabrina Howells
    Key Cast
    "Juana"
    Everybody Hates Chris, Freddy's Nightmares
  • Nate Caywood
    Cinematographer
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Horror, Thriller, Drama
  • Runtime:
    9 minutes 5 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 9, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    4,500 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Adrian Todd Zuniga

Adrian Todd Zuniga is the award-winning writer/director of the short film HOLD ME, DON’T TOUCH ME, an Official Selection at 17 film festivals around the world and winner of Best Short Film twice. He’s the WGA Award-nominated writer of the interactive movie LONGSHOT from EA Sports (featuring Mahershala Ali) and the sequel LONGSHOT 2: HOMECOMING (featuring Joey King), and his co-written feature FLEURY was recently announced on Deadline.com. Oscar-nominee/novelist Tom Perrotta called his writing "funny and full of dark surprises.” He lives in Los Angeles where he's prepping to direct THE STOLEN CHILD, his debut feature, which he also wrote.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

At its core, Not All Men is a story about the entitlement, laziness, and emotional carelessness many men are afforded within patriarchal systems — and the devastating (and in this case deadly) impact it can have on the women around them. I wanted to explore how performative “growth” and weaponized incompetence aren’t just cringeworthy behaviors — they’re dangerous. Especially when men, like Lloyd, think shortcuts posing as grand gestures can cover up years of neglect.

Horror felt like the perfect genre to explore these truths. It offers space for exaggeration, surprise, and satire — while also holding up a mirror to the deeply unsettling reality I'm exploring. In this film, an idyllic setting offsets the horror to come, though it’s Lloyd’s betrayal that is most horrific: his eagerness to manipulate his wife's emotions, his recklessness, and his willingness to sacrifice her for his own safety. The home whree this story unfolds is also a character in the film — hauntingly beautiful and deceptively serene. Tragically, it was lost during LA's Eaton Fire in January.

The film’s title, Not All Men, is both a provocation and a punchline. The only male figure who ultimately listens, hesitates, and spares Juana is, ironically, the serial killer. That dark twist speaks to the absurdity of the excuses often made for “good guys,” while highlighting how few consequences men like Lloyd ever face.

With this film, I've aimed to provoke, entertain, and unsettle. If audiences come away laughing nervously and gripping their seat, then I've succeeded at what I intended.