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Currently Playing: MELONS | Omeleto

A store manager is accused of harassment. Amiable, decent and humble, Nigel is the manager at Sunnyside Grocers. In his element in his job and devoted to superb customer service, he is beloved by customers and employees alike. But when a would-be influencer wrongly accuses Nigel of sexually harassing a customer, Nigel finds his world and reputation crumbling in the crosshairs of viral social media attention that cares more about expressing outrage than hearing the nuances of the truth. To save everything that matters to Nigel, he must learn to stand up for himself — or risk losing it all. Directed and written by Matt MacDonald, this entertaining, witty short comedy takes advantage of applying the wildfire of catastrophic, virally-fueled “cancel culture” to a small-time, folksy business, finding humor in the mismatch of white-hot outrage to seemingly small stakes. Told with dynamic, brightly polished visuals, the acerbic writing and directing sets up Nigel as the brisk, cheerful but slightly awkward center of the story. Nigel takes deep satisfaction in his role, and his good intentions come through all his interactions with his customers and employees. He genuinely believes the customer is always right and does everything he can to make Sunnyside a great place to shop. But when a verbal gaffe about melons gets wildly misinterpreted — and then put on social media by a smarmy would-be “activist” — Nigel is subject to a campaign of online outrage. In short, he gets canceled. The dialogue has fun with its antagonists, applying a broad, almost slapstick humor to their outsized, melodramatic reactions. It also matches the slightly heightened visual approach, full of bright colors and buoyant camerawork that set Sunnyside up as a world apart. But actor Brian Huskey as Nigel is the sincere, grounded emotional center that holds the audience’s sympathy; he plays Nigel with genuine affection and pride for his job, store, employees and customers, and it’s hard not to root for him. But as all that he values slowly falls apart, he reaches rock bottom and is lost. As a journey of a person finding their voice and standing up for themselves, MELONS concludes with a very funny “last stand” for Nigel. As he refuses to capitulate, he manages to both hold true to his values and speak his truth. Nigel leverages the Internet mob’s predilection for emotional drama over nuanced critical thinking, drawing them in before letting loose with the truth. In the end, that’s all he needs to stand upon. MELONS. Courtesy of Matt MacDonald at https://melonsfilm.com.