Have you ever thought about upgrading your old appliance with one of those fancy, shiny new smart ones? Tempted? You might think otherwise after you see the whimsical, funny, wordless short The Fridge (2023) by young Austrian filmmaker Lukas Galle. Elderly Walter (Franz Weichenberger), happily married to Brenda (Dagmar Kutzenberger), is frustrated with how the door closes on his ancient, white refrigerator, which he has owned probably since he married decades ago. Walter is seduced by a newspaper ad (yes he’s of the age that he stills reads newspapers) for a spanking new refrigerator, intimidatingly named “Coldinator”, a fun play on The Terminator. It arrives and Walter is ready for the challenge, manual in hand, staring at the boxy, silver, shiny new beast but is unable to solve point A: he can not get past the software that protects the fridge from being used. His first encounter with the Coldinator is an ominous red warning, “unlock first.” Pulling at the handle or side of the door like his old fridge won’t do here. Instead of keeping his food cold, the refrigerator barks out annoying beeps and sounds when the touchpad does not reciprocate to the manual's instructions. Poor Walter enlists the help of a crow bar, a few good kicks, a jackhammer, a machine gun, a blow torch, a spiffy scientist, a demolition crew, while his uninterested wife sits stoically in front of the TV, oblivious to Walter’s mounting frustration. The film’s use of a jaunty, playful score, annoyingly irritating tech sounds, quick cutting, and clever use of off-screen space crams in a lot of humor in a tight five minutes. The understated performances are pitched at the right level to play off the growing absurdity of the obstinate new fridge. Though the comic tone is as realistic as a silent comic classic of the 1920s, every viewer will relate to Walter’s frustration with technology. A technology which is conceived to enhance one’s quality of life and maximize leisure time ends up frustrating and ultimately second fiddle to the trusted appliance of old. Compared to his old fridge, the Coldinator lacks the personality accumulated over years of magnets, photographs, stickers, nicks and notes being attached to its front door. The new smart fridge just doesn’t seem very smart. In a touching final shot, Walter and Brenda restore their trusted old fridge, and share an intimate kiss by the warm light glowing from the open fridge door. Coldinator is nowhere to be seen.

The short can be enjoyed here.

Capsule Reviews   Film Reviews   austrian cinema   comedy   short film