Dances With Films Short Feature Review: ‘The Coder’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Abbey Toot as Mary in Will Crouse’s THE CODER. (Photo Courtesy of Dances With Films.)

It is definitely safe to say that the world of startups is in utter turmoil right now. Especially when it comes to tech startups. Because so many are trying their best to put together the next great product that will influence humanity in some form or fashion for the next seventy years, so that the company in question and those who helped give it rise, will be in the same discussions as Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg. But alas, it just isn’t happening. Because so many startups are burning out quickly, or they are mired in scandals and lies that are putting founders desperate to be on the digital version of Mount Rushmore, behind bars.
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All of which leaves us everyday people out there wondering, what the heck is happening in these places? Because in many ways, they are following the same paths as the greats. They’re coming to life in a garage or a basement, they’re offering something that motivates people to believe in them and invest in them. But they just keep petering out, and well… there are reasons for that. The kind that are starting to come to light since we are starting to hear more and more stories from people that worked in some of the places that failed and through storytelling. Since some who had their own brushes with the tech startup industry are ready to recreate that environment. To showcase the truth, and to perhaps… inspire change.

In fact, a story in that vein recently screened at Dances With Films and that makes The Coder, quite the important short feature. Since it plunges us into the heart of a tech startup. One that deals in the ultra-hot world of cryptocurrency, and it is doing far better than most. But despite having customers, and a cash flow and success… this company stands on the brink. For its top xoder, Mary, is not well mentally. In part because she’s working too many hours. But also, because the CEO of the startup is a Grade A, Dude Bro, A-Hole. One that demands the most of his coders and his team plus more, and well… a simple bug in the code and a coder that cannot take this level of pressure and abuse anymore… might bring this whole startup down.

Which is the perfect way to explore how the big problem with new tech startups, is that they are a hybrid work environment of sorts. Wherein they embrace the innovation and guerilla nature of what came before, while injecting the worst aspects of modern work culture into their environments. Giving rise to companies that do indeed look toward tomorrow but treat their people like garbage and are filled to the brim with egotistical idiots that are less concerned about changing the world are just eager to be featured on the 30 Under 30 list. Which gives rise to real understanding for the audience, the kind that makes utter sense because only ego could bring down something helpful and that does make for a fascinating story that explores so much more.

For it also ponders deeply upon, the toxic nature of the modern workplace. How it sees exhaustive work and hyper loyalty as the bare minimum now, and how people are a product to upper management and not a resource. Which allows for the audience to relate to this film and care about Mary, because we’ve all had a taste of that nonsense and despise it, and those elements, which come courtesy of some real-life experiences from writer/director Will Crouse, make for one compelling and intense feature. For this one really does draw you in and it puts you on the edge of your seat. Thanks to a magnificent story about the state of the union of the modern workplace and the tech startup movement, and how it will all continue to crumble until ego and demand are removed from the equation.

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