Remind Me in an Hour

On the night of their favorite television series finale, a woman and her boyfriend order food on Postmates. When the boyfriend leaves to get changed, the woman sees a reminder on his phone to “Break Up with Lauren.” The woman immediately freaks out. She selects “Remind Me in an Hour” on the notification to get some time to process.
When the boyfriend sits back down, she asks him if he wants to talk about anything. The boyfriend says no, he doesn’t think so. The woman grows more and more stressed, unsure of how to confront the situation while the TV show plays. After a series of failed attempts, she tells her boyfriend that she loves him and that she’s sorry if she hasn’t been easy. The boyfriend politely says that they should go to bed. Before they do, the woman finally garners the courage to look up at her partner and ask him: who is Lauren?

A film by Raphael Gonzalez

Woman / Alexandrea Meyer
Man / Bobby Slaski
Postmates Driver / Oliver Fredin

Producer / Frederick Balian
Director of Photography / Emily Tapanes
Editor / Liam Molina
Music / Alex Twomey
Production Sound / Donavyn Suffel
1st Assistant Camera / Alia Becker
Production Assistant / Aedan Molina

Breaking up with someone is never easy. Finding the courage to bring it up is even worse. During the pandemic, I split up with my girlfriend of 3 years. Afterward, I wondered why I felt the need to make the relationship work, especially since neither of us were happy. I realized at some point that I was comfortable. And I felt better with that comfort rather than facing some uncomfortable truths about myself and how it affected my relationships.

I made a short exploring that perspective through the eyes of a protagonist who didn’t feel confident about herself. Because of that, she relies on the affirmation of someone who only has his best interests in mind. I felt that this was an experience most audiences could relate to despite the film’s exaggerated premise.

Shot on an iPhone, REMIND ME IN AN HOUR is an honest film depicting a relationship at the end of its run. I hope that by watching, audience members will enjoy a narrative that both fulfills and subverts their expectations. I also hope it makes them ask: at what point is comfort no longer worth the work being put in? And how can we all take the first step in making ourselves happier in (or out of) a relationship?