My thoughts on Hulu’s new short film, Thirsty.

Directed by Nicole Delaney, Thirsty tells the story of a mosquito who falls in love with a man, played by Insecure‘s Jay Ellis, after tasting his blood. Even though on the surface, this seems like a pretty out-there plot (and to be fair, it is), the 11-minute short film is poignant, funny, and I found myself empathizing with the blood-sucking protagonist.

The mosquito, voiced by Maya Rudolph, truly captures the emotions of a person in unrequited love. The longing, the feeling of giddiness at the thought of just being close to them, and the disappointment and jealousy that comes when you’re reminded that the person doesn’t know you exist. At the same time, we see the man struggling through a bad breakup and the anger, sadness, and depression that comes from being cheated on by his long term girlfriend.

Each scene going back and forth between the mosquito’s reaction to experiencing love for the first time and the man’s response to his recent heartbreak. The short film is able to delve into all these complex emotions through the eyes of everyone’s least favorite insect, and still fully embraces the fact that a mosquito falling in love with a human man is, in a word, ridiculous. On the other hand, it’s the perfect analogy. Who better to exemplify the idea of being “thirsty” than a bloodsucker? I mean, her feelings present themselves in the literal desire to feed on the object of her affection.

Plus, who wouldn’t fall in love with Jay Ellis?

Thirsty is now available on Hulu