SOMETIME ELSE | Omeleto

A therapist treats a young man's breakup with virtual reality.
SOMETIME ELSE is used with permission from James Cleave. Learn more at jamescleavefilms.com.
A therapist is meeting with her regular patient Josh, an awkward young man who is working through a traumatic breakup with his ex-girlfriend Gemma. Using state-of-the-art VR technology, the therapist helps Josh navigate his feelings by sifting through his memories.
But as Josh takes the therapist through the pivotal moments and events of the relationship, from his initial crush to their devastating breakup, what seems like a troubled romance reveals something deeper and darker at work.
Directed and written by James Cleave, this gripping sci-fi drama explores the intersection of technology, memory and psychology, as a young man slowly strips away layers of denial and emotion with the aid of a virtual reality technology and a wily, persistent therapist. Situated believably in a version of today's everyday reality with slightly more advanced tech, the film pulls viewers in with riveting performances and consistently compelling storytelling, leaving us with plenty of thought-provoking questions at its conclusion.
In many ways, the storytelling is structured around a classic two-hander set-up, anchored by the interaction between Josh and his therapist. But it takes advantage of VR's expansive immersion to open up the story as a romantic drama of a young, tumultuous teenage romance. We see Josh as a classic lovelorn boy, slightly awkward and head over heels for his crush. To his delight and surprise, he begins dating Gemma, but the romance goes sour, much to his distress.
Through clever use of split screen, we see both Josh's memories and his recounting of them to his therapist, and there's enough of a gap for viewers to realize that he's often in denial of events and his feelings around them. The use of VR places Josh viscerally in his memories, which seems to unlock deeper, rawer levels of emotion within him. Two strands of the story begin emerging: that of how exactly Josh's relationship breaks down, and the cat-and-mouse game between him and his therapist, as she attempts to get him to face reality.
As Josh, actor Sean Joseph Young carries the short with a richly layered performance. He conveys Josh's aching hope, desire and attachment to his girlfriend, but as he relives his memories, darker shades of his thoughts emerge, as the therapist -- played by actor Nia Roberts with disarming calm -- finally helps him face the truth of what happened. That truth, of course, is much more disturbing than previously thought.
Being a clever, absorbing and superbly crafted thriller at the end, SOMETIME ELSE has other secrets to uncover, and other ideas to ponder, especially about the ethical use of technology, reliability of memory and how we so easily reshape stories to suit ourselves. But in the imagining of a future where dreams and memories can be recorded, we may not be able to escape the truth for long, for better or for worse.

[@golding3264]

black mirror vibes

[@MobileFilmmaking]

Yea definitely

[@pfb74]

Absolutely

[@InhaleSkyExhaleStars]

true, love the vibe

[@heikehannah]

I love that show. Wish they would make more seasons

[@terenoy]

definitely!

[@bradmhuber]

THIS!!! There definetly needs to be a sequel to THIS! Let's see what happened to Bradley!

[@turtlec7140]

This is not therapy in any way, shape or form. It's more like an interrogation.

[@justanothermortal1373]

Exactly. This is not how therapy works 😭

[@ninjaguyYT]

I think you missed the point of the movie if you thought we were supposed to assume it was therapy after the last two minutes or so.

[@Ms.Delphine1204]

Duh, that was the plot twist.

[@konigbrid6994]

plus torture

[@MrRickstopher]

Yeah… That was the point of the ending. 🫤

[@jshelton100]

I can see this technology being used for terrible purposes. Imagine being forced to relive your most painful memories in an endless loop. I can’t imagine a worse Hell.

[@Panwere36]

For some.. that is what Hell is exactly going to be like.

[@scottcupp8129]

Yep and reality is exactly what your brain tells you it is.

[@scottcupp8129]

I'm wondering how far away tech like this is?

[@idontfeelgood6192]

It's both good and bad.. Imagine the government abusing this technology, while also imaging therapists like this one helping people through their pain. I honestly don't know which side I would be on if this technology would be made.

[@andreasdesigns]

Or, imagine a murderer living through their victim's life repeatedly. I once saw a one-act play of that scenario.

[@enochpage1333]

Wow! I didn’t expect that but it’s more likely everyday if not here already.

[@bigmuda]

Omeleto could genuinely compete with black mirror and come out on top. What a wonderful short film!

[@mamapegg]

Black Mirror went downhill for me the last season

[@marketads1]

Holy smokes! That’s filmmaking! I was so shocked I felt real shock in my body, like a quick jolt. The art and science of cinema communication.

[@godskisonsunday]

Question is: is she trying to get to the truth, or force a confession? It seems she has more control than she claims

[@ingem6233]

Forcing a confession of course, cause this is making control.

[@eugenetswong]

It felt like she was trying to force a confession. She seems to have deceived him a lot. I wonder if she is gas lighting, even though there are no clues for such.

[@Ms.Delphine1204]

She just needed him to verbally say what his real memory was out loud

[@badasstorm]

she was trying to force confession bc the truth is already there in the first place when she can look into his mind

[@natureboytom]

The World is truly headed to a very dark place. Omeleto is my go to every night. Thanks guys, you never fail.

[@carmensaify]

We are already there

[@gemstar7286]

Yeah this isn't even the future anymore , this is like a present day thing . This short was very interesting... i knew he was hiding something.

[@xcoder1122]

He killed a girl just because she left him, this is the only dark thing in that short movie. If he hadn't done that, he would not be there and I don't see how getting rid of murders and rapists make that world a darker place.

[@snowyy9884]

@@xcoder1122 people just believe hating technology and the human race as something "good". Mostly they're following the crowd in a horrible horrible way. In stead of being hopeful they just want to look at all the worst and deny all good doing the world have done.

[@theundone777]

The more you visit a memory the more you change it. Something to do with the way that your brain takes it out and then put it back. Your state when you remember the memory affects the memory. So, the more times you remember something the more inaccurate it will become. There are lots of studies on this.

[@kutairaisu4603]

Gosh that psycologyst gets on my nerves. I've been treated by "preofessionals" like her, and they suck. Props to the actress.

[@mofarr83]

Pretty cool concept. Could be handy in finding missing persons for sure.

[@cyberpunk-2O77]

Can we even guarantee these are the real memories

[@2pie2mash]

I didn't notice the thumb nail, yet I was getting the feeling that Josh would be revealed wearing a prison uniform, especially when his temper surfaced. Rejection from a young age, long before his father left, had a lasting detrimental effect...sadly there are many out there like Josh, obsessive, vulnerable and unable to deal with the past, manipulation of the truth, fantasising and lying is inevitable. My friends ex left his son when he was just 4 years old. Because I was helping my friend a lot, my little buddy asked his mum if I was their 'new family' ? When she told me I was gutted for my little friend, a sweet child who I worry for daily.....luckily his mum is his rock, but can forget her priorities at times with bad choices.

[@UwUWarden]

just think about it in good light. I'm sure their doing ok man :)

[@PistonAvatarGuy]

My ex was so unstable that people saw her losing her temper in a parking lot, called the police, surrounded her car and told her they weren't going to let her leave with her son. The first thing her brother asked me when I met him was if she had threatened me with a knife yet, which she had, multiple times. The only thing that I could do was run from that whole situation, I'm not going to let her continue to destroy my life.

[@craigjohnson4302]

All you have to remember after many expensive years of psychiatry schooling is only 6 words: "How does that make you feel?"

[@HookBeak_66]

Expensive or expansive? Perhaps both.

[@pfb74]

This was an intriguing watch. It was giving interrogation not consultation from the beginning.

[@stregahex]

What I like about this is how the memory program can't be fully reliable & also be somehow manipulative like the red roses changing to black (black roses don't exist) for a moment because of a glitch. Maybe he is lying by suppressing his memory of the crime or maybe not. Or even the last memory she witnessed was real or maybe it wasn't 100% accurate because of "a glitch". Awesome Film BTW. 🤓👍

[@LabGecko]

Side note: black roses don't exist _naturally._ There are many varieties that are so deep in color that they appear almost black, and of course florists can put dye in their water, spray them, or even char them to make black roses for purchase, so the boy could have gotten some.

[@gemstar7286]

Yeah i was about to say the same with the roses... they could still have been black. He seems guilty as he was suppressing what he'd done. I guess we won't know for certain if he killed Bradley aswell... but it's suspicious how he's gone missing, obviously the police think he's involved.

[@stregahex]

@@gemstar7286 Yeap. That's why I enjoy this one. It makes you guess all the after-plot possibilities. ☺

[@ntielman2072]

I'd watch a whole series of this! Gave me chills!

[@impermanent-being]

The story builds mystery, suspense, and discomfort.

[@annikatan378]

If I were the client, I would not trust the therapist at all - let alone considering visitation if she did outline her sessions beforehand. She had no compassion towards her male client with his ex-girlfriend issue, and all she ever did is to try to interrogate & overanalyse the client who was in virtual reality of his past memories w/h his gf of the time. With the VR btwn them, she seemed to focus more on finding any solutions out of him rather than showing any empathy & support towards him. The VR helmet really hindered a heart-to-heart conversation btwn them.

[@cabdifataaxmuxumedcabdi3609]

I dont think this is a normal session, this is an interrogation, to make him confess he killed his ex, and probably either killed or abducted Bradly, as the man says (we won't find Bradly without your help doctor) at 19:23

[@ermo5623]

This was brilliant! All the way around. Very professional. Great film

[@oompaloompa6064]

Reminds me of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

[@teddyhayes2]

Need a part 2

[@elizabethpace1591]

Yes I second that

[@_skillfullgods_9017]

I’ll take this! Until black mirror comes out again that’s what I’ll say

[@jootalife]

It's a movie with a really brilliant idea.

[@daleangrignon6101]

What a great film. Thank you.

[@RPRosen-ki2fk]

This is skirting on the edge of memory manipulation, reminds me of the "White Christmas" episode on Black Mirror.

[@propermaniac684]

Been awhile glad I'm back into this channel

[@jazzyj6640]

I knew he was crazy from the beginning.

[@Jeez_690]

Thing's turned dark real quick

[@angelicagabrieli7169]

That was FANTASTIC!! Gives me chills! So good ❤

[@AC-mp7sf]

Thoroughly enjoyed this from start to finish 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@jasonbennett7002]

I know what drew me into to this. I didn't like him right from the outset and I felt I was meant to .. so I stuck around. Odd film, surprisingly grubby.

[@bstreetbistro]

Ok. Ok. Josh attempts to obscure what really happened. But with each retelling of the same event the Memoratic is able to register more and more authentic elements till the true event is pieced together. However, judges do not accept Memoratic recordings as evidence in court proceedings. The detectives want a court admissible confession. Furthermore, Bradley is still a missing person. So Josh is going to be subjected to more than the usual 50 minute session with a therapist as he is genteely grilled to find out what he knows about Bradley's whereabouts. Josh is strapped to his chair with the Memoratic screwed on tight. The film ends for us, but it seems Josh won't be going anywhere soon. Except on memory holidays. This is one creepy video. The way Josh talks past the people in his memory is unnerving.

[@chartykirk4282]

NOICE!!!!🤯💯...THAT was a good one ....love to see more of that...def black mirror vibes but would totally make a great crime series....like csi and the closer.....that actress could totally carry a show like that ...she's good....i wanna see her work some more perps memory banks and solve the hell out of some crap!....would be a great go to binge series.....love it

[@deldrise9169]

white christmas vibes from black mirror

[@pfb74]

Absolutely

[@batmansdragon8820]

Daaaaaaamn. That's my absolute favorite of these. Well done!

[@scottcupp8129]

I think we are probably pretty close to this technology.

[@antsvalleeco1089]

They aren't that far in technology now. What y'all think 10 to 14 years?

[@a_reflection_of_yourself]

I agree with that predicted timeframe

[@SexyxSeds]

At the least 15 years, they wouldn’t use this for the public before hospitals/militaries and things like that, then it’ll probably be open to the public

[@magicsinglez]

I’m just watching to see what she puts on the sheet.

[@babla69420]

From the early part it seemed like an abusive relationship from her, but that's no excuse to murder

[@jerryc3050]

"I can see this technology being used for terrible purposes. " This is too far advanced for this century, if any century. Good video, would like to know what memory she has next for him. 👍

[@bjb7587]

Elon is working on this. NEURALINK.

[@carmensaify]

Eh, I mean law enforcement tortures and murders ppl now-terrible things are done-NOW....this is a clever new spin on interrogations, which actually seems less brutal.

[@wayneclarke1727]

What's terrible about the truth? Everything use to have darkness.. but not anymore

[@amaniv.wright1167]

Sooo good. I would love to keep watching

[@emergentform1188]

Very interesting and innovative, bravo!

[@Vivalarosa45]

This must be a lost Black Mirror episode.

[@PistonAvatarGuy]

Do they even know if this guy is the killer? Wouldn't Brandon be the prime suspect if they can't actually find the memory of this guy doing anything wrong? How much of what was seen by the interrogator was manufactured by the interrogator? It's absolutely terrifying to imagine memory manipulation on this level.

[@PockyNinja8]

i think in this universe, the machine shows what the memory actually was from his perspective even if he was unintentionally misremembering it. that’s why the doctor keeps pointing out his discrepancies. when we see parts of the memory change, i think it’s just showing us what the doc is actually seeing on the screen versus what he thinks he’s remembering. idk why they still need a verbal confession after seeing the memory video of him killing the girl tho. at this point i think their main objective is finding bradley anyways, and not trying to prove his guilt.

[@MeditaComigo]

Mto bom!!

[@rogereisnaugle6012]

Without Gemma why would Bradley hang around? Some people are always looking for the worst in people.

[@cherisefoster7415]

James you smashed it! Xxx Cherise

[@ingem6233]

Making control of our brain. I saw the music is made by John Patrick Elliot , the composer and leader of The Liltle Unsaid (I follow the amazing "Cruise the play"

[@joicedb]

absolutely mesmerizing. the therapist actor had me in her hands. 18:03

[@nova4005]

Wow, that was really good.

[@Prettybigeyes]

Can we get a part 2 😮😮

[@thecoolestdaniel4554]

This is literally the episode from black mirror The one where the guy dies while repeating mom

[@pfb74]

Playtest

[@ingem6233]

Really interesting short film, with an spectral tunes of music on the murder scene. Helping get out unconscious from murderers is nothing but a defiant "present". More difficult experience is get out the truth that governements hide. I am thinking to Julian Assange who try to prevent us against the crimes that "they" hide us...but He is still being slowly mudered for he has disclosed corruption & war crimes.

[@memyselfandi4356]

i would defiently watch this movie

[@cristianm7097]

Love leads to murder.

[@BeauteOr]

Very very good !

[@justingary5322]

Awesome 😎

[@nashamikathy8191]

Best Omeleto film I have ever watched

[@justingary5322]

Just my imagination 🎵🎶🔥

[@georgias.8352]

I need a therapist like her

[@nurinumodz]

Feels like watching black mirror

[@MW-xv1sj]

If Austin Powers had a son.

[@yozh8214]

Неожиданная развязка, нам нужны такие технологии для допроса подозреваемых

[@ThereWasABadKittiFromBmore]

Dope reality🤫

[@paps-personal-channel]

GREATNESS!!!!

[@markmuchura8979]

Fanstastic!

[@sticksbass]

just accured to me theres an awful lot of acting going on in reality.

[@dandeliondreamer3365]

I like it, very good 👍

[@sp-1973]

What a lovely young man. Such a lovely face. 😐

[@adame7843]

Any other black mirror esque videos from them anyone can recommend?

[@jennifergannuscio6086]

That was AWESOME 💋

[@LASPROJECT_LILO]

Pik ngeeet ❤❤❤❤

[@kikogrego1]

Wow

[@olafslartibartfast5248]

Not a bad movie.

[@krystalericalewis]

I love Nia Roberts

[@CC-hz1qm]

Who’s Bradley?

[@jazzyj6640]

Her new boyfriend

[@quincyfleming8552]

Wow 👏👏👏👏👏

[@courtneyw2141]

They can rid of father, they killed him.

[@htp496]

What??

[@The482075]

Very Black Mirror.

[@vicckiss5655]

So he killed the new boyfriend?

[@galukya1]

Wow, 😩, 👍🏽

[@slowlydecaying1062]

nothing is the same

[@RobertJames-lt1lj]

Leave the 👽 Past in the 👽 Past# True Story 😅

[@stephaniemclean3458]

This is a forced interrogation using therapeutic torture techniques and technology to force a confession from a disturbed person. Whom may or may not have committed a crime due to inaccurate manipulated memories from his disturbed mind and emotions. And the fact the therapist and monitors have already decided he was guilty and need a confession to fit their narrative in a court of law.

[@a.r.1186]

SPOILER: "We won't find Bradley without your help." Does that mean he killed Bradley too?

[@rockingneoncat]

Yes,I think so or he locked him up somewhere

[@SinghGya]

Wow I missed it

[@jaedaens]

Interesting premise but quite unimpressive. It seems like most people do not write therapists all that well. She's cold and there's no rapport or trust built over a minimum of 10 sessions at least. Would you open up to someone that was this openly hostile toward you?

[@kathyflorcruz552]

Sean Joseph Young is an excellent actor. What a disgusting storyline.

[@amirelvalhdros7251]

Heh, got the likes to 666.

[@jigerwala420]

Not good. Story based on therapist and VR both are very obscure. And the film is only dependent on the viewers curiosity rather than the content of the film. Not liked it.

[@sqd8r]

Weird, how people see only the negative in this, meanwhile... hello people.. missing girl.

[@kathyflorcruz552]

Bradley?

[@adexterwolfe]

An interesting premise but executed horribly. Cinematography is dull and wholly uninspired. Acting that makes my skin crawl from the start, maybe intentional but subtlety could have strengthened the performance. But they didnt have much to work with in the script. Bad, bad dialogue. Though all things that can be improved on! Hats off for giving it a go! Even more so for getting it on Omoleto!

[@jasonbennett7002]

True enough but as a viewer who regularly abandons crap shorts I stuck around to the end. It had a bit more than a bad short.

[@felipelotas5609]

@@jasonbennett7002 Absolutely agree... I swallowed it from A to Z without a flinch. Destructive critizism like that one is just a blatant symptom of envy and/or frustration. Brilliant idea, minimalistic display of FX, unexpected plot twist...Enough for me. If anyone dares to better it I´ll be gladly watching.

[@timmycorini]

utter insanity

[@DriftRat]

This seems like it was written by a bad woman..

[@Greenpeppersandeggs]

And the Therapist actress had an awful Therapist to model from. And that Therapist was the bad woman who wrote it.