Freddie Fox’s The Painting & The Statue is a rare kind of short film – elegant and inventive, it manages to feel both intimate and epic at once. Set entirely in one room, yet spanning 250 years, it tells a love story between two pieces of art – a painting and a statue – who are aware of each other’s presence, but unable to connect. Until, briefly, they do. This time-traveling reverie explores art, isolation and love with the theatricality of a stage play and the emotional weight of short-form cinema at its most lyrical.

It’s a premise that could have come off as overly abstract, but Fox handles it with a delicate touch and a clear creative vision. The film opens with a quiet, meta flourish: the Lady of the House (Fenella Woolgar) steps into frame and adjusts the camera mid-shot, breaking the fourth wall and subtly inviting the viewer into the scene – not just as an observer, but as the painting itself: an intimate witness to the passing of time.

Fox divides the film into chapters, each evoking a different era in the room’s long history – from imperial grandeur to decadent 1920s parties, through wartime London, and finally to the present day, where schoolchildren tour the gallery amid the post-colonial self-awareness of a modern museum. The painting and the statue remain as quiet ghosts lingering in the corners of the room. Time becomes elastic, not through elaborate effects, but through beautifully handled transitions of lighting, costume, and atmosphere. BAFTA-winning Annie Symons’ costume design is subtle and elegantly attuned to each historical era, while Ryan Eddleston’s cinematography keeps the palette shifting without ever leaving the confines of the room. The room becomes a palimpsest of cultural memory, as though time itself were the canvas for this short.

It’s a concept that could easily veer into theatrical gimmickry, but Fox keeps it grounded through deeply felt and charming performances – particularly from Tanya Reynolds (Sex Education) and Andrew Monaghan (Barbie), who portray the painting and statue respectively. The film’s emotional climax comes in the form of a short, stunning ballet sequence choreographed by Arthur Pita, in which the painting and statue finally come alive. It’s a moment of pure, breathless release after centuries of stillness and silent observation, and is accompanied by a lush, blooming score that lifts the scene into something dreamlike. This magical interlude – full of character, tenderness and sparkle – is the film’s highlight: a graceful crescendo where centuries melt away, anchored by the warm chemistry between Reynolds and Chaudhry.

Fox, already known for his work on stage and screen, proves here that he’s just as capable behind the camera. This is a film that feels deeply considered in every frame — from the lighting to the score, to the way history itself becomes a character in the room. The decision to shoot almost entirely using just two camera angles gives the film its continuous feeling of theatrical intimacy, like we’re watching a play unfold. Fox uses the constraints of time and space not as obstacles, but as central facets of his storytelling. The supporting cast, including Mark Gatiss, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, and Fenella Woolgar, add depth and colour across the film’s many time periods, with just six actors taking on 22 roles.

Poetic, inventive and beautifully crafted, The Painting & The Statue will be premiering at the Oscar-qualifying Hollyshorts Film Festival on August 11th as part of the Period Piece Collection.

Rachel Sinclair