Walter Middleton (Nicholas Downs) is back in a follow-up to award-winning short The Handyman. The hapless homeowner won over the affections of his handyman Frank (Derek Ocampo) in the first instalment and in this new 8-minute short, he finds himself the at the receiving end of some attention from new handyman Dirk (Drew Canan). Will he succumb to Dirk’s charms or will he stay loyal to Derek?
Honey Do List marks the directorial debut of Nicholas Downs (Is It Just Me?) who also wrote the script, and stars in and produces the short. A charming successor to The Handyman, the short makes a huge impact despite its duration. Growing tired of his boyfriend Derek, who you’ll remember was the handyman in the first film, not doing the jobs he’s promised to do around the house, Walter risks causing friction by calling another handyman out to do them.
What he doesn’t expect is the handsome new handyman trying every trick in the book to grab his attention. What starts off as innocent flirtation from Dirk, soon turns into a hilarious, and deliberate, ploy to try and get Walter to indulge in some intimate time with him. Where the comedy plays really well is that this scenario is the complete opposite of the first film and in Honey Do List, Walter seems completely oblivious to Dirk’s attempts to seduce him.
Downs showcases a knack for drawing comedy out of his performers with Honey Do List. Newcomer Drew Canan is the central draw here and he gives a superb performance, really grasping the physical comedy he’s given. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that he’s hot as hell too so as his clothes comes off, I’m pretty sure he’ll be winning himself a legion of fans. Downs gives a strong performance too and the moments where you think Walter is about to get clued up as to what’s going on are among the best. Derek Ocampo has a smaller role this time round but he still proves to be as charming on screen as he was in The Handyman.
Honey Do List is a funny, sexy and charming short that really allows Downs to showcase the breadth of his talents. If you liked The Handyman, you’ll love this follow-up and by the end I was left hankering for another instalment. Honey Do List will make you laugh and it’s a good distraction for these rather depressing and difficult times. It’ll also make you want to move to California so you can get a hot handyman rather than the usual variety we get here in the UK.
Cast: Nicholas Downs, Derek Ocampo, Drew Canan Director: Nicholas Downs Writer: Nicholas Downs Certificate: Unrated Duration: 8 mins Released by: Dekkoo Release date: 17th June 2020
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