Written and directed by Tim Hautekiet, trapped in a mysterious void outside the bounds of time and space, a struggling stand-up comedian must investigate how his body wound up motionless on his bathroom floor and wake himself up before it’s too late. Starring: Jack De Sena, Chris Smith, Kelly Marie Tran, Akilah Hughes and James Babson.

Occasionally, there will be a film that you go into, not knowing much about it, with no particular expectation and you come out of it thinking, that was ridiculously good, Me, Myself & the Void is one of those films. Especially considering that it’s the debut feature from Tim Hautekiet, it’s funny, it’s touching, it’s enthralling and effortlessly entertaining. Capturing all of that on your first outing is an impressive achievement, so Hautekiet deserves a lot of respect for what he’s created here.

Starting off with the absolutely seamless transition in its opening, to simply slide right into that void from the everyday world, as if you fell into it alongside Jack, is done so well. It’s such a natural way to introduce this story, there’s no real explanation or pre-amble needed, you’re ready to jump right in.

It’s an immediate example of the brilliant quality to Hautekiet’s writing all throughout Me, Myself & the Void, it never skips a beat. The comedy is exactly where it needs to be, it has just the right amount of awkwardness and highlights how flawed we can all be while perfectly dissecting perspectives, relationships and friendships.

One of the key things that cements the success, tone and connection of this film is its sincerity. That is not an easy thing to grow in a comedy, especially one that has an unusual setup, but Hautekiet knocks it out of the park, with the help of some wonderful performances.

Jack De Sena is exceptional in this role, he makes Jack utterly relatable, he’s easy to sympathise with and is in dire need of some reflection and that’s exactly what he gets. Watching him go through that journey is hugely enjoyable, and he leads this story so perfectly that it holds onto your attention effortlessly.

Particularly because he has some fantastic support in the form of Chris Smith and Kelly Marie Tran. Now, these two serve to strengthen both of the key factors, the comedy and the sincerity respectively. Smith paired with De Sena creates a faultless friendship and it really ramps up the humour and their banter adds a superb pacing to the mix, they keep things chugging forward in the best way.

Then Tran comes in to boost the heart of Me, Myself & the Void and it certainly has a big heart, beneath all of their frustrations, arguments and flaws, they are decent, caring people and that really comes across. Tran and De Sena also have a terrific chemistry, especially towards the end, they’re a joy to watch together. And special mention has to go to Akilah Hughes for adding a good dose of sarcasm.

Another signal of how well everything works is that as it crosses from past to present and through its void, you don’t have to think about it. It smoothly wanders from one to the other, with some minimal effects work, that’s very well done. It also never feels staged, that type of movement can sometimes feel like the theatre, going from set to set but here it’s much more organic.

It also avoids giving its story stereotypical answers or endings, it finds its own path and one thing it does particularly well is constant adding to itself. Each moment we see initially has many more layers to unpack down the road, all of which has an air of mystery sat atop it as we eagerly wait to find out what really happened to Jack.

Me, Myself & the Void is an absolute gem, it’s entertaining from start to finish and not only is it funny and clever but it’s also genuinely moving. Tim Hautekiet creates the perfect blend between comedy and drama, it has a fantastic sense of humour and an excellent journey of self-reflection.

The writing is brilliant, the direction is utterly smooth, the cinematography is sharp and colourful, and the acting is superb. It’s a sincerely wonderful experience, all packaged within ninety minutes and it deserves a lot more attention than it will probably get with the barrage of releases in today’s landscape. So, if you come across Me, Myself & the Void, do yourself a favour, and give it a chance.

Verdict: ✯✯✯✯✯ | 10/10

Available to rent & buy worldwide from October 1