Twenty minutes of 'what if' that'll wreck you for hours.
Nicolas, a young man in his mid 20s, struggles to decide whether or not to go to the wedding of his best friend from high school, Aaron, who he's always been quietly in love with. The two had a falling out years earlier after Nicolas inexplicably kissed Aaron's girlfriend. Nicolas clings to an idealized image of his former friend, unconsciously sabotaging his own happiness in the process. The film is a realistic slice-of-life that poses the question "How do you get over something you never had?"
Acting
Chris Damon's silent longing physically hurts to watch.
Direction
Bardo turns a cramped apartment into emotional purgatory.
Director
Sal Bardo
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The 20-minute runtime isn't just budget—it's thematic. Nicolas's entire emotional life has been compressed into one obsessive loop, and the film traps you in it with him.
Shot during the 'It Gets Better' era, Requited rejects easy queer optimism. Nicolas's problem isn't homophobia—it's that coming out to himself was only the beginning of his cowardice.
US
