''Shrimp'' is a 2018 short comedy-drama film written and directed by

Zelda Williams Zelda Rae Williams (born July 31, 1989) is an American actress, director, producer, and writer. She is the daughter of actor and comedian Robin Williams and film producer and philanthropist Marsha Garces Williams. As a voice actress, she is bes ...

. It stars

Conor Leslie Conor Marie Leslie (born April 10, 1991) is an American actress. Beginning her career in the late 2000s, her first major role was in the thriller film '' Chained'' (2012). She has worked frequently in television, including as a series regular on ...

Paulina Singer Paulina Singer (born September 5, 1991) is an American actress, known for her roles as Grace Bledsoe on We TV's horror drama series '' South of Hell'' and Jessie Tyler on Freeform's teen drama series '' Dead of Summer''. Early life Singer was ...

, and Williams as

dominatrix A dominatrix (; ) or femdom is a woman who takes the dominant role in BDSM activities. A dominatrix can be of any sexual orientation, but this does not necessarily limit the genders of her submissive partners. Dominatrices are known for infli ...

es in a Los Angeles

BDSM BDSM is a variety of often erotic practices or roleplaying involving bondage, discipline, dominance and submission, sadomasochism, and other related interpersonal dynamics. Given the wide range of practices, some of which may be engaged ...

den. The title of the film is a reference to the term given to the dominatrixes' male clients. The film premiered at the

Tribeca Film Festival The Tribeca Festival is an annual film festival organized by Tribeca Productions. It takes place each spring in New York City, showcasing a diverse selection of film, episodic, talks, music, games, art, and immersive programming. Tribeca was f ...

on September 22, 2018. Following its premiere, the rights to ''Shrimp'' were purchased by

Gunpowder & Sky Gunpowder & Sky is a Los Angeles-based independent studio that produces feature films, series, short-form content, and podcasts. The company was founded in 2016 by Van Toffler and Floris Bauer. History In January 2016 Van Toffler (former CEO o ...

to develop the film into a series.

Plot

Dominatrixes Sasha, Jess, and Angelina work under the supervision of head mistress Marie at a

den, where they inflict pain and humiliation upon their male clients. Jess is a free-spirited exhibitionist and Angelina is married to a client, while Sasha has avoided relationships because of her occupation. Wanting to change Sasha's outlook, Marie sets her up with a blind date she tells Sasha is her friend's son. After completing their shifts, Sasha meets her date Daniel at a bar, Jess engages in

cunnilingus Cunnilingus is an oral sex act performed by a person on the vulva or vagina of another person. The clitoris is the most sexually sensitive part of the human female genitalia, and its stimulation may result in a woman becoming sexually aroused ...

with a young woman in the bar's restroom, and Angelina and her husband enjoy a private romantic evening. Sasha and Daniel remain at the bar until closing and Daniel convinces Sasha to accompany him to a park. The two spend the night together and fall asleep on a bench. The next morning, Angelina is attacked by a client, but Sasha rescues her. Sasha's actions earn praise from Marie and she asks Sasha to leave the den with her when it closes for the day. Upon stepping outside, the two women encounter Daniel, who is revealed as Marie's son. Put in an awkward position by this revelation, Sasha finds herself at a loss for words.

Cast

as Sasha *

as Jess *

as Angelina *

Frances Fisher Frances Louise Fisher (born May 11, 1952) is a British-born American actress. She began her career in theatre and later starred as record executive Suzette 'Red' Saxon in the CBS daytime soap opera ''The Guiding Light'' (1985). In film, she is ...

as Marie *

Jake Abel Jacob Allen Abel (born November 18, 1987) is an American actor. He has appeared in the film adaptations of the young adult novels ''Percy Jackson'' (2010–2013), ''I Am Number Four'' (2011), and '' The Host'' (2013), along with portraying musi ...

as Daniel *

Jacob Zachar Jacob Zachar (born May 16, 1986) is an American actor whose roles include Russell "Rusty" Cartwright on the ABC Family TV Series ''Greek''. Early years and education Zachar was born in Chicago, Illinois (his ''Greek'' character, Rusty Cartwri ...

as Angelina's husband *

Danielle Campbell Danielle Marie Campbell (born January 30, 1995) is an American actress. She is known for her starring roles as Jessica Olson in the 2010 Disney Channel Original Movie '' Starstruck'', Simone Daniels in the 2011 Disney film ''Prom'', Davina Clair ...

as Jess' date Additionally,

Taika Waititi Taika David Cohen (born 16 August 1975), known professionally as Taika Waititi ( ), is a New Zealand filmmaker, actor, and comedian. He is a recipient of an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Grammy Award, and has received two nominations at ...

portrays a bartender and co-producer Joshua Thurston plays Marie's client, referred to as the horse gimp.

Sasha Lane Sasha Bianca Lane (born September 29, 1995) is an American actress. She made her film debut in ''American Honey'' (2016), directed by Andrea Arnold, before portraying Hunter C-20 in the first season of the Disney+ television series ''Loki'', set ...

has an uncredited appearance as one of the dominatrixes.

Production

Writer/director

stated that she was inspired to create ''Shrimp'' after a man at a bar mistook her for a dominatrix. Following a look into a local BDSM den, Williams found the den to be "a different world" from fictional portrayals prior to her film. Describing the dens as "incredibly understanding" and "non-judgmental", Williams commented that their foundation is based "on consent and openness".

Potential television series

After ''Shrimp'' premiered at the

, Williams entered into a deal with Gunpowder & Sky in November 2018 to develop the short film into a half-hour series. Gunpowder & Sky CEO Van Toffler said the company was drawn to the film because Williams "was able to take a generally taboo topic, turn it on its head and tap into the day-to-day happenings of the dominatrix community and tell their story in an authentic way".

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Shrimp (film) 2018 films 2018 short films 2018 comedy-drama films American comedy-drama short films American independent films 2018 independent films BDSM in films 2010s English-language films 2010s American films