Imagine one day working was outlawed? Pete Ohs’ new film Love and Work tackles that issue. The film had its premiere at Slamdance last month and we had the chance to check it out. It was an interesting concept that immediately drew me to the film, and I was happy to see it unfold into something more than I anticipated.

The film follows our two main characters Diane and Fox who are secretly looking for employment. They both worked at a factory that was shut down and they now try to find employment where they can. Of course, with employment being illegal they have to use code words and don’t know who to trust. The comedy is rooted in irony, with how the characters are gleeful to hear about jobs being hard and full of long hours. We also see as they jump around from illegal job to the next but still seem to find each other more. A lot of the film is following these two and I enjoyed these moments the most.

The exchanges between the two lead actors as they navigate this other world adds so much depth. Stephanie Hunt and Will Madden have great chemistry and keep pushing the story forward. Love and Work is presented in black and white and has a bleak look to it. However, the actors give it a charm that clashes between these feelings of hopelessness and hope. It’s almost paradoxical just how the film presents these ideas of people begging to work, when we live in a reality with an overworked population. A lot of the moments are so absurd because of this and interesting to think about how a world like this would really be. The characters seem to only be able to function by working and although it seems weird at first, the more I thought about it there is some truth to that.

The film’s themes aren’t overtly in your face either which helped push it forward. This really allows it to tell the story of Diane and Fox without getting too convoluted. All of the background about how this world came to be is also excluded which I thought was best. The more you try to unravel and explain this I feel would have taken away from Diane and Fox. The two characters are where the heart of the film is and what made me enjoy it the most.

Love and Work worked for me with its deadpan humor and quirky romance. I loved seeing Diane and Fox find each other time after time. A clear standout from Slamdance for me. I can’t wait to see what Pete Ohs does next.

We give Love and Work 3/5.