CLASSMATE | Omeleto

A homeless man runs into a classmate.
CLASSMATE is used with permission from Javier Marco. Learn more at langosta-films....
John is a homeless man riding a bus one evening when he catches sight of a woman getting on the bus. He strikes up a conversation with her, recognizing her from elementary school. At first, Emma is wary, but as she and John talk, she warms up to him as he evokes their shared childhood and past.
But as they talk, John's over-eager efforts and sometimes inappropriate efforts to connect make Emma wary, and as they catch up, she feels uneasy and guilty at their differences in fortune. She's an engineer and happily married, and he's homeless and struggling. By all accounts, she holds all the cards. Or does she?
Directed by Javier Marco from a script written by Belen Sanchez-Arevalo, this compelling short drama deftly takes one random encounter between a man and a woman on a bus and uses it as a springboard to explore societal power dynamics, economic status, guilt and obligation. Told masterfully through simple but powerful, almost doc-like visual storytelling and pitch-perfect dialogue brought to life by elegantly precise performances, it constantly plays with expectations, teasing them out only to subvert and upend them.
This balancing act is driven by the character of John, the homeless man who attempts to create a connection with Emma, whom he apparently attended elementary school with. He initiates and then attempts to connect with her, but she is guarded and wary at first. But John also possesses a kind of self-awareness and even charm, slowly establishing common ground.
Actor Jimmy Shaw finds a balance between guilelessness and a more wily canniness, as John is constantly observing Emma's every reaction, occasionally unsettling her with an off-putting statement before scaling it back, often with a seemingly honest recognition of his inappropriateness. As Emma, actor Melina Matthews alternates between a closed-off guardedness that thaws out and then becomes prickly again. As she navigates the conversation, what also emerges is a kind of guilt at her own mistrust and a desire to be a kind, nice person. She oscillates between opposite internal impulses, giving the scene an ambiguity that rises in tension.
As Emma and John talk, what emerges is an unspoken dance, especially as tension builds and viewers question just how genuine or trustworthy John is -- and just who holds more power in the situation at times. Emma may be successful and secure in life, but John plays upon her desire to be nice and the guilt about her privilege at times. At the end of CLASSMATE, we get all the answers to the questions raised during this fascinating dramatic short, but we're also left with questions for ourselves on how we feel about it all.

[@KP_100]

No one remembers anything except John, John has great memory.

[@eugenetswong]

He is the real victim. Everybody up vote for John!

[@user-McGiver]

@@eugenetswong Nope!... he's a con artist... he went for the deep and lost... and now he shoots fish in a barrel...

[@eugenetswong]

@@user-McGiverI agree with you. I was just joking.

[@theblackflame4002]

YT needs a sarcasm emoji LOL@@eugenetswong

[@eugenetswong]

It would probably still go over my head. :- D@@theblackflame4002

[@demijour1234]

That definitely is an uncomfortable situation to be in. As a woman, I think even more so. I would not have the heart or the courage to say, no you cannot sit beside me. Not remembering someone and letting them sit beside you, that is invading your personal space and he knew that. It was him trapping you in. John, definetly has charms that makes you not have the heart to tell him to leave you alone. He spies a vulnerable woman and goes after their empathy. He is a charmer, a smooth talker and manipulative. Loved that ending.

[@ConanBarbarian-d5u]

As a man, I'm reading what you're saying and it reminds me of how men and women walk on the same planet, but we walk in different worlds. Even if I thought that I knew somebody from way-back-when, the moment she made it clear that she didn't know me I'd just stop. So many women are raised to be polite first and above all that when somebody pushes, they just keep trying to be pleasant. This guy knows that and uses it. This really exemplifies why so many women (rightfully) won't take a chance on talking to a stranger.

[@wilkopebesma]

She gave permission for him to sit next to her. It's a public bus anyone can sit anywhere they like. If there was no other space available it would even be rude to refuse. He did not commit a crime. He didn't ask for anything. He is a con artist and skilled at what he does.

[@estephaniap9027]

The kiss on the cheek floored me. Even if I let him get on the seat next to me, which is like 0.05% likely, his lips were not getting anywhere near my face. John John or no John John. I lost that naive female politeness eons ago. This World is different - savage.

[@SandraGarcia-lj3bd]

​@@estephaniap9027yo no le dejaría sentarse a mi lado . Y menos darme un beso , te doy la razón en todo . Es un tío pesado y mal educado .

[@demijour1234]

@@wilkopebesma It was not in her nature to say no. She gave permission but it was an uncomfortable permission. He targeted a person who he knew would not be firm in telling him to leave her alone or that she did not feel comfortable for him to sit beside her. It has noting to do with, if the bus was crowded and it would be rude if she refused. It also has notihng to do with that it is a public place and he can sit whever he wants. It has to do with the fact that you are coming into someone's personal space. A con artist does not have to ask for anything as you saw. He made a situation very uncomfortable for her, inside that is what she was feeling. If that happened to me, I would be polite and just wish inside that my stop would come soon. I have been in situations like that where somoeone was polite but there was that underlying umcomfortableness, It is such an awkward place to be especially being a woman.. Even though, there maybe others around that feeling of being not at ease is there. He took advantage of that vulnarability.

[@MrKockabilly]

If someone claims to be a former classmate without mentioning the name of the school, GET OUT!

[@schpeidermann]

Or enjoy the story.

[@maxb9315]

My thoughts entirely!

[@liquidsonly]

Even if they do and they are, run away as fast as you can.

[@mikemondano3624]

A strange, arbitrary, pointless, and inaccurate rule.

[@shirley_valente]

That was creepily uncomfortable to watch, especially as a woman. Very well done! 👏🏼

[@12thDecember]

Creep. Her first question should have been, "What school did we attend together?" Nobody is recognizable from third grade in their twenties. Nobody.

[@daniellamcgee4251]

Your last blanket statement is not accurate. Excellent response to the initial question, though!

[@slevinchannel7589]

Yeaaaah, nooooo. Sorry your projecting your own thoughts and biases onto the 'all-encompassing population' A typical widespread mistake

[@davidgallego2340]

He's in his 50s

[@coffeewithtwosugarsplease]

this guy is clever when it comes to human psychology ,

[@antonboludo8886]

I am, because I have a baby face, LOL.

[@-svet-ka-]

Good short about social engineering technique (he was not lying 3:00 when he said "I am an engineer too" - a social engineer) and how people don't think about basic security precautions. It was painful to watch her not paying attention to details, like he never called her by name while this would be the most natural behaviour if he actually knew her. And she could have taken initiative by asking few most basic questions, like names of teachers and other classmates.

[@eugenetswong]

Good observation! I never noticed.

[@unarmedblackguy]

He did call her by name at the very start and again when she got off the bus

[@halfblackhalfamasian]

@@unarmedblackguy No, he never called her by her name until she said I'm Emma after he kept saying "I'm John, you don't remember"

[@Happy-uy5wc]

I remember taking the city bus to work early in the morning. It was 6 AM and the street lights were off, it was so dark that I couldn't see my hand in front of my face. There was an older guy who was there in the dark who said "I'm here, don't be afraid" we couldn't see each other until the buses headlights shined on us. He worked at an Auto Body shop painting cars... I work across town at a Print Shop. I had to transfer at the Shopping Center, it took me 1 1/2 hours to get to work on the bus. If I had a car it would take 10 minutes. If I walked it would take 3+ hours. I was gone for at least 12 hours a day because I couldn't afford a car, and because I didn't have a car it made it difficult to do many things that other people take for granted. Like grocery shopping, going to the Bank, Post Office, Library and Laundry Mat. 😢 Life is difficult for people without money. No one knows how difficult it is unless they have experienced it.

[@oo2free]

There is an ongoing attempt to not only preserve, but to intensify those feelings of transportation anxiety. It's good for us, it motivates us to improve those conditions. It's good for the economy . Work harder, work longer, and scratch until your nails bleed or cause other people to bleed, just buy that car and pay that insurance, and yearly registration taxes. And as the ancient princely saying goes "keep those hunting dogs hungry, and never let them hear you say that, Leona".

[@mikemondano3624]

"Biography" section is over there. Please bore them, instead.

[@Gloomyheart6]

My memory is so bad. How bad is it? How bad is what?

[@johnny6904]

A master manipulator He knows how to expoit both a womans fear and nurturing instincts

[@turnerwright]

Called it. Though gotta give him props for the approach.

[@kamomaral]

Plot twist : He met another girl who went to his high school! What a small world😂

[@ricardocarmona5210]

He's playing mind games with people.

[@zadition9095]

His not i was in the class who can forget emmas laugh 😂

[@hollyperrin7353]

@@zadition9095Didn’t he call her Jodi at first? Who can forget Jodi’s laugh… except Emma.

[@crayder1100]

He's converting the world 1 person at a time, an embodiment of the Mandela effect. One day, he will die, and his face will be on the front page. The reporter will write that they were best friends in middle school. Everyone that sees the newspaper will say to their spouse, "Hey, I knew that guy in school." He will have the world record for most funeral attendees, so big the ceremony overfilled the Central Park.

[@Trav-eller]

He has his craft perfected. There is no way he can actually be homeless.

[@theblackflame4002]

The cynic in me sensed he was a scammer right at the start.

[@johanneskingma]

but it was entertaining. I've paid scammers if the story they told was entertainment. We do that all the time if we go to a theater.

[@MizzAnto123]

​@@johanneskingma this was totally theatrical 😂

[@MadeInSeventyFour]

@@johanneskingma That's right; it's based on knowledge, so we do it willingly. There is no comparison when someone is literally manipulating you for their own benefit. None, whatsoever.

[@steelstreet79]

He was so good tho. But he has charisma 😅

[@user-qw4ud5cj6j]

We all guessed that right away…

[@daronebrathwaite9910]

The one line that breaks all barriers and personal space. The one line that creates guilt and willingness to help lol. “Omg You haven’t changed at all, oh wait…..don’t you remember me ?”

[@kalstonii]

I be like “nah”

[@rogerdunn5932]

This was so creepy. Like, what do you do in that situation? He's not threatening anything; there's cause for alarm but there's nothing to witness. Ugh.

[@pathetic2399]

He’s creepy. Like even if he insisted that we knew each other I would ignore him and move seats if I had to. Especially if he said he remembered me from third grade…

[@faraz1231]

Ignore and move on... Nothing alarming about that either 😅

[@el_grecko_31]

Your films have a profound reality to them. The viewer has the choice to interpret. So cool. Thx 👍

[@oo2free]

Yeah, going for the Rorschach effect impressionistic modern pop art cop-out, or making a statement? Alas Yorick, that is the question. Shakespeare had the excuse of preserving his head to justify being vague in the production of his presentations.

[@C_Tizzle]

This should also serve as a reminder not to have your (or most especially your children's) name Clearly emblazoned on your bag. Someone already knowing your name, subconsciously lowers your guard. Someone calling a child by name when approaching them, makes them assume the person is Not a stranger. Be mindful when "personalizing" your items.

[@eugenetswong]

Better yet, use another name of a child not in our family.

[@hollyperrin7353]

My mom is definitely of your school of thought! Unfortunately for her, no one ever kidnapped us! 😂

[@C_Tizzle]

@@hollyperrin7353 😂

[@FitLadyJoy]

Use a code word like Apple555

[@TheKazadoodle]

She told him her name

[@elham2393]

its all fun and games till the girl used to be homeschooled

[@DrMontrays]

"oh my god, it must've been a different emma im so sorry"

[@pathetic2399]

At first i thought the dude was just a stalker, but i guessed the twist toward the end because the dude seemed super manipulative. Good short!

[@mynameistrd6841]

typical scheme we see in Indonesia everyday :))she shouldn't have mentioned her own name first and should have asked what school they attended

[@pauldavey]

Great story line, acting was superb, well done all.

[@badasstorm]

this unlocks my new fear... i don't even remember my real classmates 😂

[@Desire123ification]

Remarkable, skillful acting! 💯

[@cya2163]

I sussed him out immediately...very well acted Mr. Shaw!

[@RYwoodview]

Well done, with the most likely plot twist at the end. Which does not reduce the beauty of it at all.

[@aakashmehta3961]

exactly mann...same my words. I also predicted this as one of the probable endings but it doesn't break the flow of story

[@antonboludo8886]

I agree. He did remember her forehead vein. @@aakashmehta3961

[@antonboludo8886]

He knew her forehead vein. @justingary5322

[@delphipsmith5724]

But how did he know her name??

[@voxii_13]

because she said it before he even used her name.@@delphipsmith5724

[@anthonyvalenza9227]

Insane stuff as always. Bravo 👏🏼

[@melissarmt7330]

That was so good! John was sketchy and believable!

[@steelstreet79]

I have to look out for this type of "old friend " on the bus next time.

[@rosemarywilliams9969]

I can't stand scammers! But I'm sure I'm the only weirdo on KZbin who thinks that was nice. He gave her a nice memory, it only cost her a few hundred❤

[@skalfilms]

The turn is predictable but very well applied. I loved it.

[@hollyperrin7353]

What turn? The part where he ended up seeing another classmate? His family moved around a lot, so Tina was maybe from a different school.

[@oo2free]

What the turn would be was 50|50 in my analysis. It all came to which she was being targeted specifically or by random opportunism. Do I feel this way due to failed misdirection or by achieved foreshadowing? Only the production team can answer that question, if they choose to...

[@skalfilms]

@@hollyperrin7353 I think I expressed myself wrong, I should have said that I could sense the final twist. But I must admit that I thought it was going to be like this when he got off the bus. Even so, I still think it was very well done.

[@hollyperrin7353]

@@skalfilms I was trolling; just being sarcastic as though I naïvely believed that he happened upon another classmate. Wow! What an amazing coincidence! 😉

[@skalfilms]

@@hollyperrin7353 hahaha oh!

[@bowtieprofessor2182]

This is a great short film. If the truth be told, the short films are a whole lot better than the stuff that comes out of Hollywood. Professor Yecats!

[@diangelobarbour9367]

Clever using old school tactics to hustle people out of their money.

[@saesae8806]

I read this as “Clever using old school tactics to hustle people out of their memory” 😂 Time for me to go to bed lol 😅

[@hollyperrin7353]

@@saesae8806😂😂😂 It’s both!

[@jennycadot3635]

Real good! Great actors! 🤩

[@jxf144]

I had a feeling it would end the way it did but still very well done.

[@oo2free]

@0.04 . Notice the makeup job on the hand, and the presentation of the hand using the thoughtful well done pose by the actor.That's some heavy duty foreshadowing right there! Crank up the anxiety.

[@greg6924]

That's old school scam tactics. Lol. Master of psychology and emotion.

[@thecatspajamas1442]

Though the guy is creepy he is a master manipulator. And, at the end of the day, no one got hurt. All his former “classmates” are left with a warm fuzzy feeling that they helped someone

[@Milisenta777]

as soon as she said her name, I got what it was all about but it didn't spoil it for me at all:)

[@albertchehade9916]

Oh, how I have wanted to watch an episode like this! Now I have, thoroughly enjoyed it. 10 thumbs up...... Survival instinct is our best defense, along with that 'fight or flee' thing..... This guy should have been a politician, at worst, or a CEO, at best :) As one long ago Australian politician once stated "Life, wasn't meant to be easy" 😥

[@vincevoodoo]

Mind to self: Trying to be nice makes memories dull and forgetful to ask critical questions...

[@GyrlBlaque]

The actor looks like William H. Macy

[@karmad4491]

A YOUNG William H. Macy.

[@thecatspajamas1442]

A cross between William Macy & Kevin Bacon

[@jameseverett9037]

@@thecatspajamas1442 Kevin was my first thought. I've never understood what women find attractive, so I can only go with who the heart throbs are.

[@8bitgamer85]

I actually felt sad for the homeless man even if he is just an actor and he probably lives in a nice home or apartment. There’s plenty of homeless like his character. I encountered a lot of them when I visited San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Paris, France. Hopefully they’ll find a home.

[@yankie]

I totally would have fallen for the scam too. I'm too emotional

[@riccardo50001]

He's very slick and this is a touching and sad video.

[@AndresMartinez-zo5lk]

To help the needy or to not help, that is the question...

[@theycallmedeeEmcee]

if they were helped properly, they would not scam people or else

[@ChilliCheezdog]

Jimmy smashes it. Big love from England ❤

[@jburnett7071]

Lol anyone from the “past” just walk away 😂stranger danger ⚠️

[@rinber13]

I would’ve started talking to him in a thick accent. “Small world mate! Which school and which country was it?”

[@micknordstrom2591]

Excellent acting!

[@robforrester3727]

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I don't remember you. And also that I have a poorly-masked British accent, and you're clearly an American."

[@robforrester3727]

And yes: if he wanted that to go better, he would've started off with "Emma?"

[@robforrester3727]

...which he couldn't do, because this was a "cold read" scam.

[@robsrevenge]

It’s wild cuz she doesn’t remember… because it didn’t happen, but she’s let her guard down and just going along with what he’s saying to make him feel better but he’s perfectly aware he’s making it all up…

[@marytermini1381]

I truly felt sorry for him--until the plot twist at the end.

[@wassupnomesayin]

"Plot twist"?! You didn't see it coming a mile away?!!! It was so predictable. Wow.

[@tarekwayne9193]

That´s the problem. It was dead obvious it was a scam from the beginning. SHE told him his name. She never asked what school they went to, teachers, mutual friends to confirm....

[@tarekwayne9193]

@@wassupnomesayinYou said it.

[@awhite804]

He was a weirdo from the beginning wit his corny ass jokes

[@cheebacheeobusiness3893]

Second time watching this... Top notch acting 💪

[@mollymelena6104]

Knew it. I'm the type to doubt and grill them with questions to see if they are legitimate. No way I would just take their word for it.

[@doganozkan2231]

Thank you

[@Gr300w]

If we went to the same junior school, how come we have COMPLETELY different accents? The chances of that are very small.

[@hollyperrin7353]

Because his family moved around A LOT!

[@LitoGreen]

Ayoooo🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣…. This was a real good one

[@luckyladycharm]

He was a good hustler😮 he has a full time job doing that, after about a week so doing that he'll be able to retire😂

[@mollyN2112]

Glad THAT didnt make my skin CRAWL. He had ME believing him by the end 😳

[@seattlered3018]

He can't fool the other one. She looks 21 😂

[@kevinmkraft]

Interesting film. Geat performances.

[@Adriano-ww1be]

The actor was in a spanish serie called: la que se avecina; as Matthew

[@tarekwayne9193]

MOLT FORTTTT

[@aarond1622]

Creepy dude.

[@hollyperrin7353]

He would be creepy if it were true, but luckily, he’s just a con man.

[@ricardoklement324]

As he mentioned, he is a "social engineer", a skill that our Indian folks masters on the internet.

[@archerpro137]

its a very small town. That was Johns first bus ride after living in streets for decades.

[@faiseljamil]

Great!!!👍

[@galukya1]

Wait, what in the world! Just goes to show that one needs to have the same level of resolve that he had trying to convince others that they were classmates. If you know you don't know someone, just be like hey look dude or gal, you're mistaken, and just try to get away if you can."" 🤪🤭

[@githanjalialgama1601]

Con artists are the worst

[@doganozkan2231]

Do you remember me?

[@adityajenamani7876]

We went to school together.

[@hollyperrin7353]

Your laugh is unforgettable… even though you went through puberty since we last saw each other.

[@parinith6527]

hello, you.

[@lynnwins7284]

Wow he's smart with that con!

[@coffeewithtwosugarsplease]

i actually predicted the ending , first time ive done that with omeleto , as soon as the first lady got off the bus and he said you dont remember me emma then i knew , but then again did she actually tell him her name? i need to watch again ,

[@ShortsHound]

brilliantly awkward ...

[@armindastafford8813]

This is one of the biggest reasons there is NO trust in the world anymore. 😢

[@ZolaClyde]

As a Navy brat (dad was a career officer) we moved every 2 years, like most military families. My 1st question, especially after he only remembered her from 3rd and 4th grade: What was the name of the school? Otherwise, no way.

[@Vivalarosa45]

😅😅😅 He's a trickster.

[@C_Tizzle]

Swindler*

[@antonboludo8886]

Well acted. The man reminds me of Tom Waits.

[@jeffjones6951]

Creepy, chilling. I get the twist, but don't understand: how does John know Emma's name?

[@4LayersOfStrength]

By constantly repeating his name [1:10] I think she felt pressured to say hers or it accidentally came out because she was nervous.

[@aw3someisme469]

She said her name at the start after he introduced himself. Nothing he said was something that you could easily dispute, so honestly pretty smart.

[@jeffjones6951]

​@@4LayersOfStrength Thanks. I missed that

[@jeffjones6951]

​@@caseyrayback203 That was my initial takeaway, but the commentor above corrected me. See 1:32

[@robforrester3727]

But she did. @@caseyrayback203

[@user-McGiver]

Street Survival Skills...

[@JohnnyDouchbag-nr5yf]

That dude looked way older than her. He looked like a 50 yr old and she looks 30

[@TheKazadoodle]

Living on the streets makes you age

[@glen7228]

Well there you go, everyone has their own method.

[@meriambenouis5318]

No mention of teachers or even the school name???

[@plicketyplunk]

That was actually very nice. Positive ending for everyone. And the acting was great for such a small piece. Thumbs up❤

[@eugenetswong]

How is it positive? He was probably a scammer.

[@plicketyplunk]

@@eugenetswongEveryone got what they wanted. He got money for a room and she got the feeling she helped someone. In fact I believe somewhere in the middle she knew this was a stranger but decided to play along simply to let him save face. She might have figured he had so little. I hope we see these actors again.

[@eugenetswong]

@@plicketyplunkIt's cool that you came up with the perspective for the middle of the story. That being said, you don't know that that is what he is spending the money on. Unless there is evidence in the story, it was a scam and was unethical. She deserves to know what her money is going to be used for...at least know what she is dealing with.

[@plicketyplunk]

@@eugenetswong If you noticed as she got off the bus and looked at him his face fell for a second as if he regretted what he did but then he slapped his scammer hat on and off he went. I don't know if she "deserved" to know where her money was going. My experience is giving a lot of my clothing away hoping it will be bought by or given to someone who could use it. I found out a couple of years ago almost all donated clothing is rolled up in bales, shipped to Africa, and there it is piled onto their garbage dumps. It made me sad and I kinda wished I never knew. Like all the charities that only give maybe 10 or 20 percent to the intended target but the donors walk away feeling generous and pleased with themselves. On the other hand a drunk on the street asked me for some money so he could buy a "nice bottle of coffee".🤣 I was so taken by his honesty I gave him a fiver. I guess the questions this short brought up for me was is it really a scam if everybody gets something out of it and do we really want to know the truth about everything?

[@leonkincoln-dp8vs]

​@plicketyplunk That guy ain't no poor homeless man. Do you know how rich you can be as a scammer

[@georgemiller151]

What a disgusting hustler. In real life the victim would ask the driver to throw him off the bus.

[@Justbrowsing2023]

3rd or 4th grade?? I know you lying!!!

[@Cooltorpedo]

Heartbreaking.

[@skyskitchen7872]

this guy probably earns more than that girl

[@76jasonl]

Swear I’m not bragging, maybe because I’ve spent half my life being a con artist and manipulator, but I knew where this was going 3 minutes in.

[@FeliciaSopokovitch]

Wow public transportation and the homeless sure are scary and dangerous!

[@leonkincoln-dp8vs]

Not homeless, a rich conman

[@RHKhan86]

Emma played well.

[@williambarnes7883]

Best Omeleto yet....

[@SecretWars98]

I freakin knew it..I held out hope to be wrong the whole time too.. 😞

[@jack-1955]

Saw the end coming a mile away.

[@ZvilgantisKailis]

Predictable. But well acted.

[@andrewhancock2451]

Someone who had to make it in a competitive professional world probably weathered a bit of social persuasion with high stakes. She wouldn't typically be so easily manipulated, and to such a degree. Also, I expect the con man to misjudge prey sometimes, and he would get thrown off the bus and become a known entity in the neighbourhood.

[@pv175]

Compulsion to lying ? Psychotic? A scammer ? A guy who likes to intimidate?

[@maxpayne930]

This scenario happend,s so often one classmate is some one and the other is no one but one is free the other is not. Silver lining

[@gorlekekek]

this really smart and creepy at the same time 😮

[@MrHeat48]

"Hi John, so what's my dad's name?"

[@Zanaki113]

theres gotta be a better question to ask xD

[@ywrry5088]

Absolutely not. This short just reaffirms my notion of not giving grown men money. As a woman, I can go out and get it which means you can go out and get it.