Poker Widows: A Short Blast from the Past

Is it worth a watch?

Honestly, you probably don't need to clear your schedule for Poker Widows. If you like old, scrappy short comedies that don't take themselves too seriously, you might get a kick out of it. If you’re looking for something with actual stakes or a tight script, you’re going to be bored in about three minutes. 🃏

The whole thing is basically one long joke about husbands who can't put down their playing cards. The wives get tired of being ignored and decide to stir up some trouble. It’s simple, maybe a little too simple, but it moves fast.

Odd little details

There is this one scene where a door opens, and the timing is just… off. It’s like the actors were waiting for a cue that never quite arrived. You can see them pause for a split second, eyes darting around, before they remember to start talking again.

I couldn't help but think about how much this contrasts with the more polished drama of something like A Ship Comes In. Here, nobody is trying to win any awards. They’re just trying to get through the scene without breaking something.

• The poker game feels incredibly staged.
• The lighting is consistently flat.
• Someone definitely knocked over a prop and they just kept rolling.

It’s not as chaotic as the slapstick you’d find in The 'High Sign', but it has that same desperate energy to keep the audience laughing. Some of the expressions on the actors' faces are genuinely funny, even if the dialogue falls totally flat.

It reminds me a bit of the vibe in Slightly Used, where everyone is just kind of rushing to the next punchline. There’s no room to breathe. The characters are basically cardboard cutouts of 'annoyed spouse' and 'gambling addict.' Still, it’s only a few minutes long, so you haven’t lost much if you don’t love it.

I spent half the time wondering if the card table was actually steady. It wobbles every time someone slams their hand down. It’s those little things that catch my eye more than the actual plot. 🤷‍♂️