In the age of dating apps, where a single delayed reply can send even the most rational person into a tailspin, Buckets captures a very specific form of modern anxiety with remarkable honesty, humour, and self-awareness.
Writer-director-editor Drew van Steenbergen turns the camera on himself as a man who spirals over the course of 48 agonising hours after matching with someone online and waiting for a follow-up text. What follows is a darkly funny descent into overthinking, paranoia, self-sabotage, and the endless search for meaning in every notification, silence, and imagined slight.
What makes Buckets so effective is how recognisable it all feels. Van Steenbergen isn’t interested in portraying a villain or a victim; instead, he examines the uncomfortable reality of how dating apps can transform validation into a dopamine hit. The film understands that sometimes the biggest obstacle to connection isn’t the person on the other side of the screen, but the stories we create in our own heads.
Van Steenbergen gives a detailed and layered performance, conveying pages of emotion through nervous glances, awkward pauses, and increasingly frantic behaviour. It’s an impressively vulnerable turn, particularly given that the film is inspired by his own experiences and was shot largely in his own home. There’s an authenticity to the performance that never feels forced or self-indulgent, even when the character is at his most embarrassing.
The film’s technical craft is equally impressive. Sharp editing, inventive sound design, and a wonderfully jittery score place audiences directly inside Drew’s anxious headspace. Quick-cut montages of attempted distractions – moments where he tries to occupy himself before inevitably checking his phone again – are some of the film’s strongest sequences. Even the repeated use of a single expletive becomes a running gag and a surprisingly expressive storytelling device, escalating from amusing frustration into something approaching comic art.
For anyone who has ever stared at their phone wondering why someone hasn’t replied, Buckets will hit painfully close to home. For those deeply immersed in the culture of dating apps, it may even feel comedically triggering. Yet beneath the laughs lies something thoughtful about validation, loneliness, and the ways technology can amplify our insecurities.
At just a short-film length (10 minutes), Buckets leaves a strong impression and arguably feels like it has the bones of a feature-length story. Van Steenbergen has crafted a relatable, funny, and surprisingly insightful portrait of modern dating anxiety – one that invites audiences to laugh at the chaos while perhaps recognising a little too much of themselves along the way.
FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Buckets is screening as part of this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, running between June 3rd and 14th, 2026. For more information on the festival, head to the official site here.
