Mushroom Dad (2025)

-Written by Michelle Vorob.

2025 HOLLYSHORTS FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW! 

Mushroom Dad is a short dramedy by Michael Lei, in which a chef has to look after his authoritarian father, who has accidentally gotten high on mushrooms.

Julian (Lawrence Kao) is busy in his restaurant kitchen, preparing dishes, when his friend & business partner Gustavo (Adam Faison) comes in, telling him about the important guests out in the dining room and how he's got a special treat they can enjoy once the night is over. Alcohol? No. Marijuana? No again. He's brought psychedelic mushrooms.

A funny premise that made me think of an old episode of Frasier [the original series] I loved, in which Frasier's retired cop father accidentally gets high from a pot brownie. Mushroom Dad definitely has some funny moments, however, it plays more like a heartfelt drama, in which the complicated father-son relationship is on full display.

In this concise short that is Mushroom Dad, we understand the high expectations and tension between Julian and his authoritarian father, Paul (Kelvin Han Yee) in just seconds. As with every other film that's really resonated with me, the dialogue and the acting is completely natural and it allows you to just be absorbed in the story. 

While I was hoping for a silly comedy, Mushroom Dad is an unexpectedly touching character study. Paul clearly loves his son and is happy Julian has followed in his footsteps. Julian, an adult and skilled chef, clearly just wants his father's approval. Their mutual love and admiration is only plainly put on the table because Paul is high. I wonder if mushrooms were chosen over another substance purposely, because they can be food [which is the connection father & son share]. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but it felt more meaningful than a random drug.

I would also like to add some interesting notes about the production of Mushroom Dad. It was produced for Indeed.com, as part of their Rising Voices program, by Lena Waithe's production company, Hillman Grad Productions and 271 Films. The purpose of Rising Voices is to give opportunity to BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) filmmakers, who are underrepresented in Hollywood.

I say this to emphasize that independent film is typically committed to bringing new narratives and voices to the screen. I've seen a lot of excellent independent films and have been lucky enough to review some amazing works now that I'm a film critic. I highly recommend watching independent films like Mushroom Dad when the opportunity arises. 

Written & Directed by Michael Lei.

Starring Lawrence Kao, Adam Faison, Kelvin Han Yee, & Michele Selene Ang.

8/10 = WORTH RENTING OR BUYING