Writer and Director: Ronnie Larsen
Massage therapist Andy (Jimmy Essex) is preparing for a new client. On cue arrives Mr Millar (Billy Walker), nursing a workplace injury but exceptionally wary of receiving treatment from another man.
Millar is surprisingly vocal about his heterosexuality, demanding no inappropriate contact despite Andy offering none. He’s reluctant to proceed, but after some encouragement, agrees to the massage, provided he remains fully clothed. Possibly through nerves, Millar talks incessantly. We learn he’s a Trump-supporting married man whose wife hasn’t touched him physically in over four years.
The conversation grows increasingly personal, both through Millar’s revelations and his intrusive questions about Andy’s life. Throughout the treatment, the tone shifts from arrogance to menace to something altogether different. Andy is taken aback, even shocked, yet never disengages. As time passes, each unearths their very different truths. Both are lying, each for their own reasons.
In Happy Ending, writer/director Ronnie Larsen, who has built a career on provocative stories around sex and porn, has probably created his most cohesive piece yet. That said, it’s not perfect. The first half feels disjointed and oblique. You’re unsure where the story is heading or why the characters behave as they do. Millar is far too aggressive in asserting his heterosexuality and interrogating Andy. In return, Andy, who doesn’t appear desperate for business, is nauseatingly passive. The result is complete disdain towards both.
However, as truths emerge in the second half, there’s a growing understanding of their motivations. By the payoff, everything slots into place.
Despite its frustrating opening, Happy Ending proves a very enjoyable production. Larsen’s writing is punchy and drives the narrative forward well, even whilst sacrificing emotional engagement early on. It’s surprisingly funny, too. Essex and Walker work well together, delivering solidly engaging performances.
Overall, Happy Ending offers a tantalising look at sex and relationships through a fetishised lens. Whilst uneven, the payoff makes the initial frustrations worthwhile, delivering a thought-provoking and humorous tale well worth investigating.
Runs until 26 October 2025
