Shafted (2023) – A Meet-Cute With a Panic Button

Shafted(2023) starts with the kind of moment that usually lasts five seconds: you spot your gym crush, you panic a little, and you either say hi or pretend you suddenly became deeply interested in a wall.

Joel chooses chaos. He approaches Rafi, throws out a brave little invite, and then the elevator does what movie elevators love to do: it stops. Now these two guys are stuck together with a too-cheerful customer service voice (Nora), a rising anxiety level, and exactly zero ways to escape the awkward.

Forced proximity, but make it sweet

The film plays the comedy gently. Joel spirals, Rafi stays calm, and the flirting feels more like two humans trying to be brave than two people performing a date. There’s even a tiny, surprisingly intimate highlight: Rafi teaches Joel a bit of salsa right there in the elevator, and for a minute the panic turns into rhythm.

The twist that changes everything

Just when you think you know what kind of rom-com short this is, it pulls a sharp turn: “Cut.” What you’ve been watching is a scene being filmed. Suddenly the story becomes about loneliness, longing, and how easy it is to write yourself a fantasy when real life keeps saying “not you”.

Shafted still keeps a soft heart under the punchline. It doesn’t mock the need for connection, and it leaves you with something better than a perfect ending: the possibility that a real connection can survive the messy parts.