A man discovers urgent messages on his answering machine from his idiot friend.


THE ACCOMPLICE is used with permission from John F. Beach and Martin Spanjers. Learn more at   / theaccomplicefilm  .


It's 1994, and Jerry has come home from a business trip. As he settles back into his home, he plays the messages on his answering machine. Almost all of them are from his friend Randy. Each progressive machine reveals Randy as a handful, full of energy and bad ideas.

As the messages unfurl, Jerry realizes that, somehow, Randy has embroiled Jerry in a bankrobbing scheme while Jerry is gone. The scheme has pulled in other unsavory characters and gone sideways and Jerry has arrived home just in time to deal with the fallout.

Directed by Jon Hoeg and lead actor John F. Beach from a script written by Dustin Hahn and Greg Hahn, this short comedythriller featuring a brief but key performance by actor Evan Peters exhibits a funny, compelling cleverness on all levels, from the excellent writing to nimble camera direction. The comedy comes from the idea of an inept, impulsive friend roping in his unwitting best friend into a disastrous plan, but the thrills are when it all comes to a head, as an unexpected "welcome home" moment for Jerry.

Though the narrative is compact and short, the smart, funny writing packs a dense amount of character and plot, conveyed in Randy's series of messages on Jerry's answering machine. These messages function as an audio chronicle, as Randy dreams up a harebrained scheme to get rich quickly: he wants to rob a bank and wants Jerry to be in on it. The messages reveal the complex ins and outs of Randy's convoluted plan. But more importantly, they reveal that Randy is an idiot who acts first and thinks later and that he's pulled an unwitting Jerry into the scheme, opening accounts in his name while Jerry was away and somehow giving Jerry a prominent role in the heist.

Though most of the plot is conveyed through the sound and there's humor found in so much of it happening while Jerry was away and unaware the film stays visually dynamic, thanks to the brisk editing and dynamic camerawork. And it stays grounded, thanks to Beach's lead performance as Jerry, who begins as an ordinary man going about the mundane task of coming home and settling back in. But as he listens to Randy's messages, he shifts from bemusement to confusion to worry. And then he finally panics as he reaches the end of the messages and realizes Randy's dumb plan has caught up to him.

Wild, memorable and compelling to the end, THE ACCOMPLICE ends with Randy's appearance at long last. Fans of Evan Peters will enjoy the flash of comedy from an actor known for his action and drama bona fides, but Jerry himself isn't happy to see his friend or the fallout from Randy's illconceived plans. It all ends on a darkly humorous, ironic note one that might remind some to choose friends wisely and to keep up with messages while we're away.