Old Habits (2027)
English | Short | Crime Drama | 15 Min
When a mobster's impulsive decision to move a mysterious suitcase leaves a man dead, a tense sit-down forces him to question who he can trust—and what his family has been hiding.
Starring
Writer | Director | Producer
Matthew R. Paden
Production Notes
I wanted Old Habits to play with the familiar conventions of the gangster film while finding humor in the ordinary routines of men who have spent far too long in an extraordinary business.
The idea of four mobsters gathering in a Kansas City pizza parlor gave me a setting that felt both familiar and wonderfully out of place for a story involving half a million dollars, a missing suitcase, and a body in the Missouri River.
I was drawn to the rhythm of old friendships, the rituals of the trade, and the kind of casual conversation that can turn dangerous when trust begins to disappear. Beneath the wisecracks and bravado, there's a more uncomfortable question: how well do you really know the people sitting across the table?
With Old Habits, I wanted to have a little fun with the genre while remembering that in this line of work, yesterday's loyalties can become tomorrow's liabilities.
Production Stills
