There is something quietly powerful about short films that know exactly what they want to be, not just in tone or genre, but in intention. They often bear the burden of proof that an idea works and is worth trying. Sometimes the risks don’t pay off, but when they do, it is clear and very satisfying to see.

‘Legend Has It’, written by Frank Tremblay and Ramesh Santanam and directed by Thomas Lorber, understands this responsibility well enough.

For the first four minutes of its roughly twenty-two-minute runtime, we are led into what feels like a familiar crime thriller space. A French crime boss meets with his men. There is suspicion in the air, the uncomfortable quiet of mistrust. A poetic monologue is delivered, one of those speeches that signals power and impending violence. Then, with a single gunshot, the “rat” is unceremoniously killed mid-speech by the Crime boss’s right-hand man. And then, almost playfully, the film pivots.

What follows is not a tonal collapse but a gentle reveal. The seriousness cracks just enough to let humour seep in, and suddenly, we realise this film is comfortable existing in contradiction. ‘Legend Has It’ is an action comedy, but one dressed in the shadowy textures of a crime thriller.

Adam, played beautifully by Jon Cor, is our anchor. He is a legendary male stripper, though you wouldn’t guess it at first glance. When we meet him, he is simple, domestic, curled up beside his wife. There is warmth here, vulnerability. He takes a call for what he assumes will be one last gig, one last dance before retirement. Adam wants out of that life and is ready to start a family with his woman.

A simple mix-up in hotel room numbers sends him directly into danger. Instead of a bachelorette party, Adam walks into a room full of French mafia members waiting for a legendary hitman. A man whose identity has remained a mystery for years. What unfolds from here is where the writing truly shines. Adam’s complete naivety is not played for cheap laughs. The wordplay, misunderstandings, and assumptions are carefully layered, allowing the comedy to emerge organically from character rather than coincidence.

Jon Cor’s performance is key to why this works. He is wonderfully unassuming. There is no exaggerated masculinity, no forced bravado. You believe him to be a man who dances for a living just as much as you believe him to be someone capable of surviving a room full of dangerous men.

Tom Morton, as mafia boss Henri-George, is equally compelling. Switching seamlessly between English and French, he balances menace and humour with ease. He is frightening when he needs to be, amusing when the moment allows it, and never cartoonish.

One of the film’s most delightful achievements lies in its fight choreography. These sequences are elegantly staged, blurring the line between combat and performance. Adam isn’t fighting to kill anyone. He’s performing a routine to entertain these strangers, whom he thinks are the clients who booked him. His stripper instincts, his sense of rhythm and spectacle, become the very things that keep him alive. It’s clever, surprising, and deeply satisfying.

Visually, the film never abandons its crime-thriller aesthetic. Jesse Louttit’s cinematography maintains a brooding intensity throughout, even as the film’s comedic beats begin to land. The danger always feels present.

By its end, you can see that ‘Legend Has It’ is thoughtful, well-crafted, and full of promise. It leaves you satisfied, yet gently aching for more. As a proof of concept, it succeeds beautifully. As a story, it feels limitless with a lot of potential. I truly hope this short becomes a feature, even if it simply dares to continue from where it leaves us.