My Girlfriend Turned Into a Worm
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Romance, Comedy
Based on the viral online series, "My Girlfriend Turned Into a Worm" is a surreal short film about loss, grief, and what it means to love someone unconditionally, even when they can't love you back in the same way.
My Girlfriend Turned Into a Worm
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Romance, Comedy
26 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
$8,225
Goal: $20,000 for production
Based on the viral online series, "My Girlfriend Turned Into a Worm" is a surreal short film about loss, grief, and what it means to love someone unconditionally, even when they can't love you back in the same way.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
"MY GIRLFRIEND TURNED INTO A WORM"
WORMS GO VIRAL:
Last June, writer/director Alex Herz made what he thought would be a silly one-off TikTok video. A riff on the meme “Would you still love me if I was a worm?”, Herz imagined a world in which his longtime partner had already turned into an invertebrate, and was treated to all sorts of miniature acts of service (dates, coffee shops, picnics in the park). So Herz went to Petco, bought some earthworms, and filmed them in front of some miniatures while his real-life girlfriend was out of the house, not thinking much would happen.
The video got 2.6 million plays. The next in the series: 3.9 million.
Over the past year, My Girlfriend Turned Into a Worm has become a global phenomenon, amassing over 50 million views to date and engaging tens of millions of users. Celebrities from minor worm influencers to literally SZA have shared the videos with their audiences, and countless boyfriends have DM’d Herz telling him he’s “making them look bad.”
Herz isn’t quite sure why these particular videos took off. If he had to guess, he’d say that their universality referencing a well-known Gen-Z internet joke, coupled with their innately bittersweet tone and cinematic quality, make them intriguing to most people who come across them.
Unlike its titular character — it’s safe to say this project has legs. And the one thing everyone keeps saying is...
WHY WE'RE DOING THIS NOW
50 million views don't just happen every day! We're seeking to leverage the unique connection we've developed with our audience over the past year to make this project in as big and impactful a way as possible.
Additionally, our previous short film, "R&R", played in competition at SXSW this year in the Independent TV Pilot category. Our momentum is strong...and we're trying to strike while the iron's hot!
WHY US?
We're a team of talented industry professionals who have made some pretty cool projects...
THE TEAM
Alex Herz - Writer/Director/Editor
Alex Herz is an award-winning writer, director & editor based in Los Angeles. His films have screened at festivals including SXSW, Heartland, and Tallgrass. Alex's first feature film, A Normal life (2016), was independently produced at age 19 and picked up for distribution on Apple TV+. The screenplay for the film was selected to be a part of the Core Collection at the Library of the Academy of Arts & Sciences. While studying Radio, TV, and Film at Northwestern University, Alex was awarded the coveted Bindley Grant to produce his senior thesis film Men of Clay. He graduated with honors in 2018, and was chosen as a Senior to Watch. Alex's independent pilot presentation, Wild Combination — starring Allie Grant and Mateus Ward — was a part of the SXSW film festival in 2020. Alex’s latest project, the short documentary Middleground, is executive produced by Academy Award-winner Doug Blush (The Elephant Whisperers, Period. End of Sentence). The film is set to begin its festival run in 2025. Alex is also the creator of the viral internet film series My Girlfriend Turned Into a Worm, which garnered over 50 million views on Reels and TikTok in its first year of release. He is currently developing the project into a feature film.
JJ Herz - Producer
JJ Herz is a multifaceted writer, director, actor, and producer with a passion for telling genuine LGBTQ+ and disability visibility stories. Her directorial debut, R&R — a heartfelt comedy pilot inspired by her relationship with her brother — premiered at the 2025 SXSW Independent TV Pilot Competition and is currently in development as a full series with Jaime Pressly’s Liston James Productions. The project also earned her finalist recognition in the SXSW and SeriesFest 2025 Pitch-A-Thon, and she recently received the SeriesFest Inclusive Creator Award for her commitment to inclusive storytelling
Nicole Kay Payson - Producer
Nicole Kay Payson was raised in Hopkinton, MA and knew she wanted to be a part of the “movie business” ever since carrying her dad’s camcorder around in middle school. Relocating to New York for college, she found her path to a film career within a couple years after graduating. As a producer, her award-winning projects have played at film festivals across the world, including: Tribeca Film Festival, SXSW and SoHo International Film. Her latest project, F*ckUps Anonymous, won the 2025 SXSW Independent TV Pilot Jury Prize and Best Pilot Jury Prize at SeriesFest. She is currently in prep for her first feature film.
ABOUT THE SHORT
Tone & Style
On its surface, the meme “Would you still love me as a worm?” might not scream “cinematic masterpiece.” But what originally struck Herz about the age-old question was its profundity, both as a litmus test for true partnership, and as a metaphor for caretaking. If one’s boyfriend or girlfriend really did turn into a worm, how many of us would continue to care for them in the way we always had? And in doing so, what would that say about us as partners?
Much like its IP, The Worm exists in a melancholy, absurdist space somewhere between Spike Jonze and Yorgos Lanthimos. It’s a film about love, and grief, and the ways in which we show up for the people we love, even when they can’t show up for us. It’s also a decidedly modern movie, both in its capitalizing on the power of the internet, as well as its interrogation of our emotionally-distant culture that is the byproduct of it. Think films like Lars and the Real Girl, Eternal Sunshine, and Her. But with worms.
Plot
Arthur, a meticulous but emotionally adrift production designer, wakes one morning to find his girlfriend, Annelise, missing. In her place: an unassuming earthworm, wriggling on her pillow. While Arthur’s friends Ramona and Todd urge caution and reason, Arthur becomes convinced of the unthinkable—that the Worm is Annelise.
Stricken by grief, Arthur begins caring for the invertebrate as if it were his longtime partner. He builds a handcrafted world of miniatures—a tiny home, a café, even a scale model of their apartment—to provide comfort and stimulation. The Worm, impossibly, seems to respond.
But as Arthur’s devotion deepens, his real life begins to fray. He distances himself from his job and relationships, clinging to the only form of connection he has left with the Worm: a soundboard loaded with Annelise’s old voice memos. Ramona challenges Arthur’s version of care, forcing him to confront whether he’s honoring Annelise’s needs—or masking his own inability to let go.
Characters
Arthur
Arthur is a 30-something freelance artist and production designer who lives in Los Angeles. An empath by nature, Arthur is someone who pretty much only forms deep, lasting connections or none at all. As a result, his world can sometimes feel a little small and constricted, but that doesn’t seem to bother him. For Arthur, the ultimate form of self-expression, even in love, is through art. His inclination is always to create — mainly as a way of figuring out and ascribing meaning to the world around him.
Annelise
Annelise (32) is the worm in The Worm, and is thus, in a way, our titular character. A kind soul and a wonderful partner to Arthur, she struggles with severe depression, and as such has had substantial up-and-down periods throughout her life.
Ramona
Ramona (35) is a neuropsychologist tenured at USC, and, more relevantly, Annelise’s childhood best friend. Smart, self-assured, and incredibly busy, Ramona is very outward-focused, and oftentimes has trouble making space in her life for the people she cares about.
Todd
Todd (35) is also a psychologist, and happens to be Ramona’s skeptical better half. Pretty unlikeable, and rational to a fault, Todd attempts to understand the world around him through psychological platitudes and quotes from textbooks.
Director's Statement
I grew up with a younger brother who has Down syndrome, and being the sibling of someone with a disability meant that, from a young age, I had to adopt the role of a caretaker. In recent years, I’ve begun to view more objectively the various ways in which my upbringing has affected the way I show up around others. While I believe that caretaking within the context of any relationship — romantic, platonic, and everything in between — is a beautiful way to relate to other people, sometimes it can become fraught with unexpected complications. It can even, in certain contexts, erode a relationship altogether. It is this dynamic that I am seeking to interrogate in My Girlfriend Turned Into a Worm.
Ultimately, when I started shooting My Girlfriend Turned Into a Worm (the series), I wasn’t trying to make any grand statement about the state of relationships — I just wanted to create silly videos about worms. But the outpouring of viewership and support for this project, as well as countless interpretations of its central metaphor, has made me realize that this concept has been connected to something very real and profound all along, and is the perfect canvas on which to tell a larger story.
In adapting my series into a short film, it is my goal first and foremost to make a movie about love — not with a capital “L”, but something real and complicated. I hope that, in spite of its absurd premise, you are able to take away from it something deeply human.
Or that you just really like worms. Either is fine with me.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Production Design/Miniatures
Costs $4,000
One of our biggest (and most important) expenses! We need funds to help bring the "miniature utopia" to life.
Cast and Crew
Costs $7,000
A film is only as strong as its team! We need a skilled crew to bring "My Girlfriend Turned Into a Worm" to life.
Locations
Costs $3,000
Help us secure our dream locations! Specifically, this film is confined to an apartment interior and a bar.
Equipment
Costs $4,000
Help us rent top-tier equipment to bring "My Girlfriend Turned Into a Worm" to life!
Post-Production/Score
Costs $2,000
While Director Alex Herz will edit and sound design the film himself, we need funds for sound mix, color correction, and score!
Share this update!
About This Team
Alex Herz - Writer/Director/Editor
Alex Herz is an award-winning writer, director & editor based in Los Angeles. His films have screened at festivals including SXSW, Heartland, and Tallgrass. Alex's first feature film, A Normal life (2016), was independently produced at age 19 and picked up for distribution on Apple TV+. The screenplay for the film was selected to be a part of the Core Collection at the Library of the Academy of Arts & Sciences. While studying Radio, TV, and Film at Northwestern University, Alex was awarded the coveted Bindley Grant to produce his senior thesis film Men of Clay. He graduated with honors in 2018, and was chosen as a Senior to Watch. Alex's independent pilot presentation, Wild Combination — starring Allie Grant and Mateus Ward — was a part of the SXSW film festival in 2020. Alex’s latest project, the short documentary Middleground, is executive produced by Academy Award-winner Doug Blush (The Elephant Whisperers, Period. End of Sentence). The film is set to begin its festival run in 2025. Alex is also the creator of the viral internet film series My Girlfriend Turned Into a Worm, which garnered over 50 million views on Reels and TikTok in its first year of release. He is currently developing the project into a feature film.
Jenna Herz - Producer
JJ Herz is a multifaceted writer, director, actor, and producer with a passion for telling genuine LGBTQ+ and disability visibility stories. Her directorial debut, R&R — a heartfelt comedy pilot inspired by her relationship with her brother — premiered at the 2025 SXSW Independent TV Pilot Competition and is currently in development as a full series with Jaime Pressly’s Liston James Productions. The project also earned her finalist recognition in the SXSW and SeriesFest 2025 Pitch-A-Thon, and she recently received the SeriesFest Inclusive Creator Award for her commitment to inclusive storytelling.
Nicole Kay Payson - Producer
Nicole Kay Payson was raised in Hopkinton, MA and knew she wanted to be a part of the “movie business” ever since carrying her dad’s camcorder around in middle school. Relocating to New York for college, she found her path to a film career within a couple years after graduating. As a producer, her award-winning projects have played at film festivals across the world, including: Tribeca Film Festival, SXSW and SoHo International Film. Her latest project, F*ckUps Anonymous, won the 2025 SXSW Independent TV Pilot Jury Prize and Best Pilot Jury Prize at SeriesFest. She is currently in prep for her first feature film.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
"MY GIRLFRIEND TURNED INTO A WORM"
WORMS GO VIRAL:
Last June, writer/director Alex Herz made what he thought would be a silly one-off TikTok video. A riff on the meme “Would you still love me if I was a worm?”, Herz imagined a world in which his longtime partner had already turned into an invertebrate, and was treated to all sorts of miniature acts of service (dates, coffee shops, picnics in the park). So Herz went to Petco, bought some earthworms, and filmed them in front of some miniatures while his real-life girlfriend was out of the house, not thinking much would happen.
The video got 2.6 million plays. The next in the series: 3.9 million.
Over the past year, My Girlfriend Turned Into a Worm has become a global phenomenon, amassing over 50 million views to date and engaging tens of millions of users. Celebrities from minor worm influencers to literally SZA have shared the videos with their audiences, and countless boyfriends have DM’d Herz telling him he’s “making them look bad.”
Herz isn’t quite sure why these particular videos took off. If he had to guess, he’d say that their universality referencing a well-known Gen-Z internet joke, coupled with their innately bittersweet tone and cinematic quality, make them intriguing to most people who come across them.
Unlike its titular character — it’s safe to say this project has legs. And the one thing everyone keeps saying is...
WHY WE'RE DOING THIS NOW
50 million views don't just happen every day! We're seeking to leverage the unique connection we've developed with our audience over the past year to make this project in as big and impactful a way as possible.
Additionally, our previous short film, "R&R", played in competition at SXSW this year in the Independent TV Pilot category. Our momentum is strong...and we're trying to strike while the iron's hot!
WHY US?
We're a team of talented industry professionals who have made some pretty cool projects...
THE TEAM
Alex Herz - Writer/Director/Editor
Alex Herz is an award-winning writer, director & editor based in Los Angeles. His films have screened at festivals including SXSW, Heartland, and Tallgrass. Alex's first feature film, A Normal life (2016), was independently produced at age 19 and picked up for distribution on Apple TV+. The screenplay for the film was selected to be a part of the Core Collection at the Library of the Academy of Arts & Sciences. While studying Radio, TV, and Film at Northwestern University, Alex was awarded the coveted Bindley Grant to produce his senior thesis film Men of Clay. He graduated with honors in 2018, and was chosen as a Senior to Watch. Alex's independent pilot presentation, Wild Combination — starring Allie Grant and Mateus Ward — was a part of the SXSW film festival in 2020. Alex’s latest project, the short documentary Middleground, is executive produced by Academy Award-winner Doug Blush (The Elephant Whisperers, Period. End of Sentence). The film is set to begin its festival run in 2025. Alex is also the creator of the viral internet film series My Girlfriend Turned Into a Worm, which garnered over 50 million views on Reels and TikTok in its first year of release. He is currently developing the project into a feature film.
JJ Herz - Producer
JJ Herz is a multifaceted writer, director, actor, and producer with a passion for telling genuine LGBTQ+ and disability visibility stories. Her directorial debut, R&R — a heartfelt comedy pilot inspired by her relationship with her brother — premiered at the 2025 SXSW Independent TV Pilot Competition and is currently in development as a full series with Jaime Pressly’s Liston James Productions. The project also earned her finalist recognition in the SXSW and SeriesFest 2025 Pitch-A-Thon, and she recently received the SeriesFest Inclusive Creator Award for her commitment to inclusive storytelling
Nicole Kay Payson - Producer
Nicole Kay Payson was raised in Hopkinton, MA and knew she wanted to be a part of the “movie business” ever since carrying her dad’s camcorder around in middle school. Relocating to New York for college, she found her path to a film career within a couple years after graduating. As a producer, her award-winning projects have played at film festivals across the world, including: Tribeca Film Festival, SXSW and SoHo International Film. Her latest project, F*ckUps Anonymous, won the 2025 SXSW Independent TV Pilot Jury Prize and Best Pilot Jury Prize at SeriesFest. She is currently in prep for her first feature film.
ABOUT THE SHORT
Tone & Style
On its surface, the meme “Would you still love me as a worm?” might not scream “cinematic masterpiece.” But what originally struck Herz about the age-old question was its profundity, both as a litmus test for true partnership, and as a metaphor for caretaking. If one’s boyfriend or girlfriend really did turn into a worm, how many of us would continue to care for them in the way we always had? And in doing so, what would that say about us as partners?
Much like its IP, The Worm exists in a melancholy, absurdist space somewhere between Spike Jonze and Yorgos Lanthimos. It’s a film about love, and grief, and the ways in which we show up for the people we love, even when they can’t show up for us. It’s also a decidedly modern movie, both in its capitalizing on the power of the internet, as well as its interrogation of our emotionally-distant culture that is the byproduct of it. Think films like Lars and the Real Girl, Eternal Sunshine, and Her. But with worms.
Plot
Arthur, a meticulous but emotionally adrift production designer, wakes one morning to find his girlfriend, Annelise, missing. In her place: an unassuming earthworm, wriggling on her pillow. While Arthur’s friends Ramona and Todd urge caution and reason, Arthur becomes convinced of the unthinkable—that the Worm is Annelise.
Stricken by grief, Arthur begins caring for the invertebrate as if it were his longtime partner. He builds a handcrafted world of miniatures—a tiny home, a café, even a scale model of their apartment—to provide comfort and stimulation. The Worm, impossibly, seems to respond.
But as Arthur’s devotion deepens, his real life begins to fray. He distances himself from his job and relationships, clinging to the only form of connection he has left with the Worm: a soundboard loaded with Annelise’s old voice memos. Ramona challenges Arthur’s version of care, forcing him to confront whether he’s honoring Annelise’s needs—or masking his own inability to let go.
Characters
Arthur
Arthur is a 30-something freelance artist and production designer who lives in Los Angeles. An empath by nature, Arthur is someone who pretty much only forms deep, lasting connections or none at all. As a result, his world can sometimes feel a little small and constricted, but that doesn’t seem to bother him. For Arthur, the ultimate form of self-expression, even in love, is through art. His inclination is always to create — mainly as a way of figuring out and ascribing meaning to the world around him.
Annelise
Annelise (32) is the worm in The Worm, and is thus, in a way, our titular character. A kind soul and a wonderful partner to Arthur, she struggles with severe depression, and as such has had substantial up-and-down periods throughout her life.
Ramona
Ramona (35) is a neuropsychologist tenured at USC, and, more relevantly, Annelise’s childhood best friend. Smart, self-assured, and incredibly busy, Ramona is very outward-focused, and oftentimes has trouble making space in her life for the people she cares about.
Todd
Todd (35) is also a psychologist, and happens to be Ramona’s skeptical better half. Pretty unlikeable, and rational to a fault, Todd attempts to understand the world around him through psychological platitudes and quotes from textbooks.
Director's Statement
I grew up with a younger brother who has Down syndrome, and being the sibling of someone with a disability meant that, from a young age, I had to adopt the role of a caretaker. In recent years, I’ve begun to view more objectively the various ways in which my upbringing has affected the way I show up around others. While I believe that caretaking within the context of any relationship — romantic, platonic, and everything in between — is a beautiful way to relate to other people, sometimes it can become fraught with unexpected complications. It can even, in certain contexts, erode a relationship altogether. It is this dynamic that I am seeking to interrogate in My Girlfriend Turned Into a Worm.
Ultimately, when I started shooting My Girlfriend Turned Into a Worm (the series), I wasn’t trying to make any grand statement about the state of relationships — I just wanted to create silly videos about worms. But the outpouring of viewership and support for this project, as well as countless interpretations of its central metaphor, has made me realize that this concept has been connected to something very real and profound all along, and is the perfect canvas on which to tell a larger story.
In adapting my series into a short film, it is my goal first and foremost to make a movie about love — not with a capital “L”, but something real and complicated. I hope that, in spite of its absurd premise, you are able to take away from it something deeply human.
Or that you just really like worms. Either is fine with me.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Production Design/Miniatures
Costs $4,000
One of our biggest (and most important) expenses! We need funds to help bring the "miniature utopia" to life.
Cast and Crew
Costs $7,000
A film is only as strong as its team! We need a skilled crew to bring "My Girlfriend Turned Into a Worm" to life.
Locations
Costs $3,000
Help us secure our dream locations! Specifically, this film is confined to an apartment interior and a bar.
Equipment
Costs $4,000
Help us rent top-tier equipment to bring "My Girlfriend Turned Into a Worm" to life!
Post-Production/Score
Costs $2,000
While Director Alex Herz will edit and sound design the film himself, we need funds for sound mix, color correction, and score!
Share this update!
About This Team
Alex Herz - Writer/Director/Editor
Alex Herz is an award-winning writer, director & editor based in Los Angeles. His films have screened at festivals including SXSW, Heartland, and Tallgrass. Alex's first feature film, A Normal life (2016), was independently produced at age 19 and picked up for distribution on Apple TV+. The screenplay for the film was selected to be a part of the Core Collection at the Library of the Academy of Arts & Sciences. While studying Radio, TV, and Film at Northwestern University, Alex was awarded the coveted Bindley Grant to produce his senior thesis film Men of Clay. He graduated with honors in 2018, and was chosen as a Senior to Watch. Alex's independent pilot presentation, Wild Combination — starring Allie Grant and Mateus Ward — was a part of the SXSW film festival in 2020. Alex’s latest project, the short documentary Middleground, is executive produced by Academy Award-winner Doug Blush (The Elephant Whisperers, Period. End of Sentence). The film is set to begin its festival run in 2025. Alex is also the creator of the viral internet film series My Girlfriend Turned Into a Worm, which garnered over 50 million views on Reels and TikTok in its first year of release. He is currently developing the project into a feature film.
Jenna Herz - Producer
JJ Herz is a multifaceted writer, director, actor, and producer with a passion for telling genuine LGBTQ+ and disability visibility stories. Her directorial debut, R&R — a heartfelt comedy pilot inspired by her relationship with her brother — premiered at the 2025 SXSW Independent TV Pilot Competition and is currently in development as a full series with Jaime Pressly’s Liston James Productions. The project also earned her finalist recognition in the SXSW and SeriesFest 2025 Pitch-A-Thon, and she recently received the SeriesFest Inclusive Creator Award for her commitment to inclusive storytelling.
Nicole Kay Payson - Producer
Nicole Kay Payson was raised in Hopkinton, MA and knew she wanted to be a part of the “movie business” ever since carrying her dad’s camcorder around in middle school. Relocating to New York for college, she found her path to a film career within a couple years after graduating. As a producer, her award-winning projects have played at film festivals across the world, including: Tribeca Film Festival, SXSW and SoHo International Film. Her latest project, F*ckUps Anonymous, won the 2025 SXSW Independent TV Pilot Jury Prize and Best Pilot Jury Prize at SeriesFest. She is currently in prep for her first feature film.