short film movie review

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The 49 Best Short Films of All Time That Every Filmmaker Can Learn From

• How to Make a Short Film
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• Making a Short Film
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• Best Short Films of All Time
• Best Short Film Ideas
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• Social Media for Short Films
• Crowdfunding Movies
• Fiscal Responsibility on a Short
• The Ultimate Film Grants List
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T he best short films have a few key things in common: concise storytelling, great performances, an original concept, and stunning visuals. You can learn from each, but which are the best to watch?

Right now, we’ll give you our list of the best short films of all time. We’ll also break down these short movies to show you how to make your next project one of the best short films of all time. Commence learning.

Best Drama Short Films

Run time under 45 minutes, best drama shorts, short films have the best narratives.

The best short films are just like any great film - it all start on the page. If you're planning to create your own short film, you will want a professional script.

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Take a look below for some of the most exceptional movies.

Best Drama Shorts The top narrative short movies

The red balloon, the phone call, session man, hotel chevalier, small deaths, glory at sea, lick the star, 1.1  best drama short film.

Albert Lamorisse directs this short film about the experiences of a young boy and his balloon in Paris. 

It’s one of the greatest survival and friendship stories ever told. The imagery lends itself to suspense, and it makes me think of Cast Away .

1.2  BEST DRAMA SHORT FILM

Mat Kirkby directs this short film about a volunteer at a crisis center who receives a phone call from a man slowly poisoning himself to death.

The film has a great ticking clock that somehow seems both urgent while also relaxed enough for character development.

1.3  BEST DRAMA SHORT FILM

Seth Winston directs this Oscar winning short film about a session guitarist hired to help a famous rock band finish up their latest album.

Session man

This is a perfect example of a miniaturized story that works great as a short film that may not have worked as a feature.

1.4  BEST DRAMA SHORT FILM

Wes Anderson directs this short film about two past lovers who reunite in a hotel room in Paris, and is a prologue to The Darjeeling Limited.

Hotel Chevalier 

The film works so well because the logline is also the synopsis. The film is about past lovers, and how we view them.

1.5  BEST DRAMA SHORT FILM

This is a great film by director Lynne Ramsay that works really well as a short because it shows us three moments in a girls life where she learns something about the world. Often this can be less than pleasant.

There is something very focused and yet hands off about this film. Anytime you can say that, I think you’ve got a winner.

1.6  BEST DRAMA SHORT FILM

Director Ben Zeitlin used this clever idea to catapult his name into the ranks of serious directors, and went on to helm Beasts of the Southern Wild which earned him Academy Award nominations for directing, writing, and best picture.

This film is great and it plays with reality and death in such a unique way it’s no wonder this is one of the best ever.

1.7  BEST DRAMA SHORT FILM

The full display of Stephen Daldry’s directing ability is evident in this short film that launched his career. The promise of his future work such as Billy Elliot , The Hours , and The Reader , is definitely evident in Eight.  

The writing is concise and focused. Those with an especially good eye can notice some of the director’s style in his later offerings. Incredibly Loud and Extremely Close to his first film. From stunning tracking shots to close-ups, Daldry seems to say I know film theory and can put it to use.

1.8  BEST DRAMA SHORT FILM

Director Sofia Coppola uses this short film to talk about celebrity, teen angst, and suicide. The whole thing is done with such an objective point of view, and the realistic tone mixed with the dramatic imagery works well.

Lick the Star

The film also features Peter Bogdanovich and Zoe Cassavetes.

1.9  BEST DRAMA SHORT FILM

If you have yet to see a Gaspar Noe film, this may be the perfect bite size snack for you. He makes films that are not easy to watch, but they’re good enough to make you wonder why that is, and to challenge yourself.

The films aren’t ugly, but they aren’t easy to digest.

1.10  BEST DRAMA SHORT FILM

This short film is a recent arrival to the festival circuit, having screened at least thirty festivals such as the Academy Awards qualifying Hollyshorts, and was screened by the Screen Actors Guild Foundation.

Writer/director Marvin Nuecklaus creates stunning photography, with a keen use of visual color palette for time delineation.

Best Comedy Short Films

Best comedy short films the top narrative short movies, a dog’s life, six shooter, the music box, bottle rocket, it’s always sunny on tv, frankenweenie, thunder road, greener grass, 2.1  best comedy short film.

Charlie Chaplin was one of the first directors to realize what a gold mine Dogs and Children would be on film, or maybe he is to blame. The film shows how an out of work man, harassed woman, and stray dog all have their vulnerabilities and reasons for living.

Nothing Chaplin ever did was completely comedy, and while there are plenty of laughs in this film, the message still works today, and forever.

2.2  BEST COMEDY SHORT FILM

Martin McDonagh was already a celebrated playwright at the time that he  made this short film, but he then went on to write and direct In Bruges , Seven Psychopaths , and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

The film has a great cast, and is simple enough to work as a short film.

2.3  BEST COMEDY SHORT FILM

James Parrot directs this short film that takes cues from the greek story of Sisyphus, who was cursed for eternity to push a rock up a hill that would never make it to the top.

They swap the rock for a piano, and the tragedy for some serious laughs.

2.4  BEST COMEDY SHORT FILM

Director Wes Anderson took this film to Sundance where it got very little attention, but those who saw it loved it. This short film about boredom, crime, adolescence, and masculinity launched the careers of the Wilson Brothers, and of course Anderson himself.

Much like THX, this is a must watch for that reason alone.

2.5  BEST COMEDY SHORT FILM

A small story about a bunch of vain actors. This short film paved the way for It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia to become one of the greatest comedy shows of all time, and it started with a conversation about cancer.

The performances and writing made this idea work.

2.6  BEST COMEDY SHORT FILM

This short film, directed by Tim Burton and funded then scrapped by Disney, this darkly humorous film about a dog brought back to life.

The film shows where Burton was headed, and gained him even more attention as a filmmakers beyond just a visual artist.

2.7  BEST COMEDY SHORT FILM

Jim Cummings writes and directs the Sundance Film Festival award-winning Thunder Road . The film was adapted into a long-form feature film and was a giant hit in France.

Director Jim Cummings turned a substantial profit from this short film and gave the world a very signature calling card.

2.8  BEST COMEDY SHORT FILM

This short film directed by Paul Briganti makes fun of materialism and social competition in a way that doesn't hold back. It has irony, a smart theme, a bite size premise, and is filmed pretty well.

The film was accepted by the SXSW film festival.

Best Horror Short Films

Best horror short films the top narrative short movies, the big shave, the smiling man, cutting moments, 3.1  best horror short film.

Martin Scorsese may be synonymous with mob films and Leo DiCaprio, but before all the glitz and glamour he made a film about a guy shaving.

What could be so terrifying about a guy shaving? Haven’t you already answered that question with your own question?

3.2  BEST HORROR SHORT FILM

This short film from director A.J. Briones grabs the terror bull by the horns, and places a little girl all alone in a face to face with pure evil.

Again, this is a short film and the filmmakers understand that simplicity is often your best friend. Show off your skills.

3.3  BEST HORROR SHORT FILM

This short film directed by Ben Franklin and Anthony Melton deals with the topic of bullying, and a young man who summons an ancient spirit in an effort to seek revenge.

I actually quite like Birch trees.

3.4  BEST HORROR SHORT FILM

David F. Sandberg made this film and it is another one that takes some of the great horror tropes of all time, and relies on nothing else. It is sort of like eating a buttermilk donut, sometimes that plan taste is the best to have.

This short went on to become a feature length film.

3.5  BEST HORROR SHORT FILM

This short film is truly disturbing, and instead of relying on some distant or supernatural evil, this film shows our own need to please and to be loved as the ultimate horror.

I don’t want to give any huge details away, but if you love horror but are tired of jump scares and raspy trailer voice, check out this short film.

3.6  BEST HORROR SHORT FILM

This short film directed by Andrés Borghi shows a woman with the desire to keep the memories of her loved ones alive and the unintended consequences that follow.

Horror films are as much about filmmaking as they are about dread. Check this film out to see both.

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Best Sci-Fi Short Films

Best sci-fi short films the top sci-fi shorts, alive in joburg, electronic labyrinth: thx 1138 4eb, trip to the moon, the nostalgist, 4.1  best sci-fi short film, alive in joburg.

Neill Blomkamp proved his abilities to none other than legendary director Peter Jackson with this  short film that inspired the hit film District 9.

Peter Jackson said Blomkamp “needed to be making films”, and hired him to his visual effects studio in New Zealand.

4.2  BEST SCI-FI SHORT FILM

This film by George Lucas paved the way for some of the greatest films of all time like Star Wars and Indiana Jones.

Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB 

They also made a feature length version with Robert Duvall, and while the pacing is a little slow there is a ton of insights for any filmmaker.

4.3  BEST SCI-FI SHORT FILM

This fantastic short film by Spike Jonze also happens to be a bit of a corporate advert for Absolut Vodka, but the quality, thoughtfulness, and execution of the film sort of erases any ill will that may generate.

This short film, based on the book The Giving Tree , is a film about sacrifice, love, and existentialism all rolled into a nice looking package with Andrew Garfield playing the lead.

4.4  BEST SCI-FI SHORT FILM

The influence of this film from director and actor George Melies cannot be overstated. Out of the hundreds of film this Godfather of cinema completed, this is the one that has stood the test of time.

The story follows a group of astronomers who voyage to the moon. They explore the surface, come to blows with the natives, before returning to earth with a captive.

This short film has cutting-edge special effects… for the time. In 1902, seeing Trip to the Moon must have been like seeing Titanic for the first time. The writing is great even without a word of audible dialogue.

The enduring theme of the exploration of man was cleverly realized in this short film. The film was heavily pirated in its’ day even though it was financially very successful.

4.5  BEST SCI-FI SHORT FILM

This film by Giacomo Cimini takes place both in a virtual world and the real world, and uses a father and son relationship to illustrate an already tenuous relationship with society and the outside world.

If you’ve ever felt like you were born outside of your intended time era, give this film a watch.

4.6  BEST SCI-FI SHORT FILM

This film directed by David Sandberg can be found on Netflix, and I highly recommend it for several different reasons. It’s funny, has some corny but great special effects, and seems completely uncompromised.

This film was crowdfunded, and received something close to $300,000 from kickstarter during its heyday.

Best Animated Short Films

Best animated short films the top documentary shorts, what’s opera doc, geri's game, imaginary flying machines, world of tomorrow, the man who planted trees, sanjay's super team, 5.1  best animated short film, what’s opera, doc.

This short film by Chuck Jones is his best. I’ve never turned this short film off, or looked away. That is the true sign of any great piece of entertainment, and on top of that this short film makes me laugh, cry (in the right mood), think, and sing.

What a fantastic short film.

5.2  BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM

Geri’s game.

The concept:  An old man plays chess with himself in the park.  Simple enough. How did Pixar tell this story? By having the man assume the multiple characters in the chess match.

The combination of concept, storytelling and, yes performance, even if it is computer generated imagery, works to make this academy award-winning short film one of the best. 

5.3  BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM

This film was produced by Studio Ghibli and features the legendary Hayao Miyazaki as a talking pig who narrates the film all about the human power of flight, and a bunch of different machines used to achieve it. This short film isn't available online so here's a video essay on Miyazaki's Airships instead. Enjoy!

Flight in Miyazaki Films

Great animation, great story, great short film.

5.4  BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM

The World of Tomorrow is an Academy Award winning film that takes is anything but conventional. Animation give a lot of latitude, and director Don Hertzfeldt understands that very well.

5.5  BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM

This short film directed by Frédéric Back and based off the book by Jean Giono. Christopher Plummer narrates and plays the hero who recalls his experience of being saved by a shepherd who plants trees in a barren valley eventually creating a place similar to the Garden of Eden.

This film is not only about man and nature, but about the healing powers we both can provide. It’s a two way street.

5.6  BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM

Human behavior.

This is the only music video you will find on this list and it definitely deserves to be on any list of groundbreaking short films. This short film is “ever so satisfying”

When pop-rock superstar Bjork enlisted Michel Gondry to make a video the chances were high that they would make something unique.

5.7  BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM

Sanjay’s super team.

Every filmmaker should see this Pixar short film for the amazing combination of original concept, strong storytelling, and stunning visuals.

Director Sanjay Patel based the story on his own childhood. Taking the familiar story of a clash of interest between two generations, Patel used the Hindu deities and the superhero storyline to create a magical short movie. It is truly a delight for all ages.

Best Experimental Short Films

Best experimental short films the top documentary shorts, un chien andalou, an occurrence at owl creek bridge, scorpio rising, from the drain, 6.1  best experimental short films.

Spanish director Luis Buñuel and artist Salvador Dalí wrote a script based on the concept of suppressed human emotions. Then they went and filmed it, without any apparent compromise.

To watch any of these experimental films is to understand that you are no longer in the realm of conventional cinema, but that doesn’t mean cinematic language and thematic expression are abnormal, in this film or any other film for that matter.

6.2  BEST EXPERIMENTAL SHORT FILMS

A post-apocalyptic, cautionary tale and a masterpiece of writing, this short film is one of the best of all times. Twenty-eight minutes long and entirely in black and white, La Jetee is ahead of its’ time.

The themes are as relevant today as they were sixty years ago. Importantly, it pays homage to the French New Wave movement.

6.3  BEST EXPERIMENTAL SHORT FILMS

An occurrence at owl creek bridge .

The short film seventy years later was specially presented on an episode of The Twilight Zone. Adapted for the screen and directed by Roberto Enrico, the story is simple, but the telling is what makes it jarring and original.

It was a winner at the Cannes Film Festival. In addition,  An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge  received both the BAFTA and the Academy Award for the best Live Action Short film.

6.4  BEST EXPERIMENTAL SHORT FILMS

This film from Kenneth Anger caused the Nazis to become upset at him for misrepresenting their flag. A censorship advocacy group called the police, had the theatre manager arrested and the print seized before the whole case went to the California supreme court.

Scorpio Rising 

This film set precedent for legal censorship cases across the country, and in some ways dismantled the shard censorship laws that remained from the McCarthy era. Oh, and the film is pretty great too.

6.5  BEST EXPERIMENTAL SHORT FILMS

This film from David Cronenberg shows two men in a mental institution bathtub talking about what is in the drain. It led to films like Eastern Promises , History of Violence , and Existenz , so it is totally worth watching.

Also, it is interesting to watch a lot of the interviews Cronenberg gave during the period of creating this film, so if you have time watch those too. 

6.6  BEST EXPERIMENTAL SHORT FILMS

The grandmother.

David Lynch has made a few experimental short films, but The Grandmother is his best. The reason it is his best is because it has more cinematic technique to analyze than other short films from David Lynch.

Often his films are shot in such a simple manner that you ponder the art and meaning rather than the cinematic techniques.

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Best Documentary Short Films

Best documentary short films the top documentary shorts, night and fog, the mushroom club, god sleeps in rwanda, the death of kevin carter, knife skills, 7.1  best documentary short films, night and fog.

Writer-director Alain Resnais used writing and structure as well as a compilation of archival footage from all over Europe to bring this short film to life.

Using motion pictures and stills, there is no fancy Hollywood razzle-dazzle in this no-nonsense look at the horrors of the Holocaust.

What makes this film truly extraordinary is not the subject matter.

This was not the first film to detail the atrocities of the Second World War.

It is the structure of the film that makes this short film stand the test of time as one of the best short documentary films of all time.

Resnais tells a complete story with a gripping subject matter but structures the story in an essay form.

A beautiful telling of a nightmarish story

The events are told chronologically with the footage from Resnais’ present day, in color, and the archival footage edited seamlessly.

The tracking shots lead to the Nazis marching in step.  The overgrown fields of the 1950’s blend into the ghastly scenes of genocide.

The writing here is unsentimental and unapologetic.  It makes Night and Fog one of the best short films, documentary or otherwise, of all time.

7.2  BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILMS

This powerful Academy Award-nominated short film from director Steve Okazaki revisits the story of the first use of the atomic bomb by the United States against Japan.

The real story in this 34min film is the effects on the lives of those who experienced it. In response to the lackluster coverage of the fiftieth anniversary of the dropping of the bomb, the filmmaker collected these stories of survivors in the short tragic anthology.

The director presents questions that no one wants to ask. The answers provide a harrowing portrait of “victory” from the point of view of those who lived in the aftermath of the bombing.

The survivors or hibakusha get to tell their story. The structure is less important as are the filmmaking skills.  The stories come together to make one unforgettable film.

7.3  BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILMS

The best documentary short films all seem to tackle the darkest and most tragic reaches of the human experience. This is no exception.

Director Kimberlee Acquaro received a Pew Fellowship and later an Academy Award nomination for her film.

Once again, the story’s subject matter is the leading player. But the writing in this short film is essential to the telling of such heavy themes as genocide and human depravity.

Narrated by Rosario Dawson, the writing here doesn’t overwhelm the stories of the five women who rebuild their lives and redefine women's roles in Rwanda. This short film is a story of hope.

7.4  BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILMS

Director Dan Krauss paints a tragic portrait of the life of a journalist in this superb short film. The short film comes in at a sparse 27 minutes but packs a punch of any feature-length film.

The film sheds light on the suicide of journalist Kevin Carter a few months after winning the Pulitzer Prize and the death of a close friend. The familiarity of Kevin Carter’s work makes the viewer an accomplice

The film is thorough in the examination of Carter’s life and the events leading to his death.  The amount of research that goes into the documentary short is staggering and worthy of its’ Oscar nomination.

7.5  BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILMS

This Oscar-nominated short film of 2017 is one of the few documentary short films that delivers a message of hope and redemption.

This short film is the story of a restaurateur looking to open the best French restaurant in America.  

The catch? The restaurant is staffed with ex-convicts looking to change their lives.  They have a few weeks to learn the kitchen skills.

Ex-convicts serve a dose of humanity with their skills. The structure of the story is where filmmakers can really learn a thing or two.

Starting the film on the opening night as an amuse bouche and then serving up the entrèe as the staff is initiated into a brand new world of traditional French cuisine.

It is funny as a fish out of water stories, frustrating to witness how lives can take a sudden bad turn and a pleasure to watch as men and women are redeemed in a kitchen.

How to Write a Short Film That Gets You Noticed

Now you know about 30 great short films. You could literally watch any of these films and know that you saw something worth a watch. Now it’s time for you to develop your own short film idea.  

Check out How to Write a Short Film That Gets You Noticed . This is a fantastic resource that will keep you on track, and help organize your idea.

Up Next: How to Write a Short Film That Gets You Noticed →

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Curve: Minimalist Horror Straight Out Of Nightmares

Tim Egan’s short film Curve taps into base, instinctive fears with a narrative always headed for doom. Less than 10 minutes long and with only one actor and setting, the film is an excellent exercise in horror and an example of minimalist filmmaking. Here’s our analysis of Curve . 

Laura Jane Turner stars as an unnamed, solitary woman quite literally on the edge of doom. There is nothing about the scenario that hides a sliver of hope. She is just barely perched on a steep curve, a bottomless abyss yawning beneath her. There is nothing to hold on to. One leg is bent under her and possibly giving her purchase to remain glued to the surface. Her hands are a bloodied mess from trying to hold on and drag herself up. The physics of it is plain cruel. 

The film uses time and sound design to achieve its terrifying effect. Despite knowing that there is no way out of this, viewers inevitably get invested and hope for a narrative intervention. Something, anything to get the woman to safety. The longer the film drags, the more invested it gets its audience. The woman makes attempt after heart thudding attempt. Her bloodied hands get bloodier. Every breath, scratch and sound of dragging is amplified and gets the viewer increasingly tense. Worse, screams escape the abyss intermittently.  

The bleak, wretched cherry on top? The bloodied handprints on the opposite wall mean someone has already walked the futile cycle. And it was certainly futile: the marks end downwards. When there is intervention, it is only to hasten the woman’s destruction. The frustration is excruciating. The editing in these moments is noteworthy; by cutting short the true extents of pain and destruction, it sublimates the terror and yet manages to make it worse by leaving it to the viewer’s imagination, compounded by silence. 

Curve can be read for philosophical interpretations. The cyclical nature of the woman’s torment certainly lends itself to making meaning. The abyss is fodder for religious metaphor. The film leaves its interpretation subjective and open to viewers. The experience regardless is the stuff of nightmares. 

Watch Curve the movie by Tim Egan Short Film

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Somehow everyone who made a review of this short film missed the fact that the handprints on the opposite wall were the same as hers, as she made more handprints the identical handprints appeared on the opposite wall which means that there still is no proof that anyone else has been through this and it is just a reflection of her. Knowing this there is a lot of room for assumption as to what is actually happening but sadly nobody seems to realize this.

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Best short films of all time and where to watch them

Although there are many different types of film out there, most of them sit between one and two hours. This is perfect for when we really want to escape into the narrative, but sometimes we are looking for a short film if we don’t have much time available or we want something a little different. 

Short films provide us with thought-provoking messages in a short period of time, and tend to focus on one or two main characters to avoid switching between multiple points of view and plot points. Short movies get to the point quickly, and are often hard-hitting film pieces that focus on contemporary real-life issues that the audience can relate to.

Over the years, there have been a number of short films that have taken the world by storm, such as YouTube and limited release short films. These often contrast dramatically to the top feature films that we’ve come to know, such as James Cameron’s Avatar and Ridley Scott’s The Martian . 

In this guide, we’ll take a look at the best short films of all time, what made them so popular and where you can watch these cinematic masterpieces. 

What is a short film?

A short film usually has a run time of less than an hour, which is often the minimum length for a full-length feature film. Short films generally have a lower budget than full-length films, and the main topic or content is rife throughout the entirety of the run time. 

What makes a good short film?

A short film needs to rely heavily on the main point or theme of the film and not deviate too much from it. This is to avoid unnecessary plot points that could detract from the main topic and extend the run time. Short films focus on one issue, which is usually resolved or dealt with at the end. 

Usually, short films are created to get across certain messages or resolutions to issues. They are often impactful and thought-provoking. 

The best short films available now and where to watch them

The silent child , 2017.

This 20-minute Oscar-winning short film depicts a young girl who is deaf and struggles to be understood by her family. As a result, she is inadvertently alienated by them. She is taught sign language by a social worker, who is an advocate for it to be taught in schools in order to help deaf children receive the support they need.

Written by and starring Rachel Shenton, this emotional and hard-hitting film depicts the lack of support in place for deaf children. It has been described as one of the best live action short films and you can find it on YouTube . 

Erax , 2022

Arguably one of the best short films that can be found in the streaming world and is suitable for kids, Erax tells the story of a young girl and her aunt, who accidentally release a slew of mythical monsters and creatures into their world. They must return the creatures to their own world, from which they were released. 

Seemingly devoid of hard-hitting messages that you’d expect short films to provide, this film serves as a fun family fantasy that can be enjoyed by everyone. 

You can stream this short film on Netflix. Alternatively, read our review of Erax here . 

Lights Out , 2013

Among the horror short films, this one is definitely high in the rankings. Originally released as a short 2-minute horror film on YouTube, a full length feature film was created using the same name and premise in 2016. Both films play on our innate fear of what lurks in the dark once we turn off the lights. 

The main villain in the film is the silhouette of a woman that appears in the dark and disappears once the lights are switched back on. If you are into creepy horror films, Lights Out might be the perfect watch for you.

Piper , 2016

Receiving an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film, this Disney Pixar short film is about a young sandpiper bird who must overcome her fear of water in order to find food to survive. Piper is a compelling film about learning to overcome your greatest fears. 

A Trip To The Moon , 1902

This French cinematic masterpiece is considered to be one of the first sci-fi films ever created. Created in 1902 by French filmmaker Georges Méliès, and originally titled ‘ Le Voyage Dans La Lune ,’ this short film depicts several astronomers who create a rocket to take them to the moon. They then face many threats as they traverse the new environment. 

About a Girl , 2001 

The About a Girl short film is a 10-minute hard-hitting and thought-provoking film about contemporary life. Literally following a young teenage girl through the streets of Manchester, she talks to the camera about several events in her life and her hopes for her future. The documentary style narrative, with her breaking the fourth wall makes the audience feel more connected to her journey.

She details the relationship between her and her parents, and while initially describing them in what seems to be a good way, we come to understand that her parents are actually neglectful. 

In 2001, this film won the BAFTA for Best Short Film, so it’s definitely worth checking it out. You can watch this short film on YouTube . 

Additional reading

• Ajeeb Daastaans review
• Canvas short film review 
• Pitta Kathalu- Ramula review 
• Top 5 movies defying genre

Article by Jonathon Wilson

Jonathon is one of the co-founders of Ready Steady Cut and has been an instrumental part of the team since its inception in 2017. Jonathon has remained involved in all aspects of the site’s operation, mainly dedicated to its content output, remaining one of its primary Entertainment writers while also functioning as our dedicated Commissioning Editor, publishing over 6,500 articles.

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A Masterclass in Writing Gripping Short Film Reviews That Captivate Audiences in 2023

Short films can convey entire worlds within minutes through their creative use of visuals and succinct storytelling. As both an art form and a medium, short films have seen a major surge in popularity on video sites and festivals in recent years.

For aspiring filmmakers and students, reviews can provide insights into how to craft compelling stories and technical execution. For festivals and competitions, judges have to write critiques.

Table of Contents

Watch Closely and Take Notes

Start by viewing the short film once or twice to grasp the full experience. Resist the urge to be distracted by your phone or laptop during the screening, since shorts require close attention to detail.

Take notes during each viewing on aspects you notice:

Analyze All the Key Elements

A short film review should examine each of the main aspects individually to assess their effectiveness. Consider the categories below when analyzing:

Story and Plot

Acting and characters, cinematography, light and color, sound and editing, provide background and context.

“Directed by Wes Anderson in 2004 while he was an up-and-coming indie icon, Hotel Chevalier serves as a prologue to his feature The Darjeeling Limited. Running just 13 minutes, it stars Natalie Portman and Jason Schwartzman as former lovers reconnecting in a Paris hotel room. The short premiered at the Venice Film Festival and was later released through iTunes to build anticipation for Anderson’s full-length film.”

Discuss Your Impressions and Reactions

Be specific in calling out 1-2 of the most powerful moments that left an impact. Discuss why they worked well based on cinematography , acting , and editing choices that brought the scenes to life.

Evaluate Overall Success and Impact

Your review should judge the effectiveness of the short film as a whole. Important questions to answer:

Essentially, you want to assess the level of impact the short film had as an immersive experience. This involves both an objective eye to issues with execution and a subjective feeling of its emotional resonance.

Provide Recommendations for Viewers

You can draw parallels to existing writers , directors , or specific works that could help give viewers a sense of what tone or style this short channels. Highlighting film festival accolades can further validate it as a must-watch.

Conclusion – Short Film Reviews

What short films have you seen lately that you would recommend to our readers? Let us know in the comments below!

Frequently Asked Questions

What should be included in a short film review, what are the 7 steps to writing a movie review, how long should a short film review be, what are the 4 components of a film review, how long is a typical short film.

Short films are usually defined as anything less than 40 minutes long, but most range from 5-30 minutes in length. The average short film duration is about 20 minutes.

How do you structure a film review?

What is the structure or format of a film review.

The typical structure of a film review is:

What are the two types of film reviews?

The two main types of film reviews are:

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Short Film Reviews

Welcome to the UK Film Review page for short film reviews . Here you will find some of the best and brightest sparks in a sea of cinema. Filmmakers from across the globe submit their short films to us to be reviewed, and our Contributors lovingly dissect them.

If you would like one of our team to write a film review of your short film, please use the form below or visit our Submit Your Film page

Our short film reviews are written by passionate film critics across the UK and aim to highlight and promote terrific filmmaking when we find it. We are always honest with our reviews, so if you are looking to submit your short film for review, please do so knowing that we will not alter what we have said because you don't like it.

There is a wealth of amazing talent in the short film industry, and we hope by writing film reviews about this underexposed creativity we can get your movies to a new audience...but we need your help. Please join in the chatter on our social media channels so that we can grow our community and share the joy.

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What is a short film review?

A short film review is often written by a movie critic and it's their opinion on a film that is less than sixty minutes long. Short film reviews still explore every aspect of a movie.

How do I write a short film review?

Writing a short film review needs to cover multiple aspects of the movie. Including the script, the characters, performances, cinematography, score & sound design, editing and so on.

How long should a film review be?

A film review should be as long as the house style. Some publications provide lengthier reviews than others. A general minimum word count would be 300.

How much money do film critics make?

Film critic salaries depend massively on their publication. Many film critics are freelancers, meaning they get paid per review and sometimes this is based on word count. Making money through film reviews can be challenging.

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Short Film Reviews

LATE SUMMER 2016

Ghost Nets (2016,  Mark Bousfield )

Written by Ben Rider (Festival Director)

With the opening moments of ‘Ghost Nets’ focusing on the small tensions between siblings, the film establishes its early on set of ‘blood thicker than water’ paradox. This paradox being that the film’s conclusion recoils to a survival mode – one which is similar to the notions expressed within this first scene: how does the idea of ‘self’ survive scrutiny? How does civil society behave? How does one behave in the company of ‘the other’? What is an ‘ethical’ murder? In the positioning of the film’s leads, that being between Neal and Jack, the tension amounts to the ideals of what makes one a man, or perhaps – ‘masculine’. Similarly, the trio camping out on the shore, and the gun wielding stranger, compute a particular ethical outlook at the concept of living conditions, how does one keep themselves safe, and at what point does one ‘act’ in order to save them and their loved ones.

At its core, the film appears as a science fiction venture. Perhaps its the digital titles, sweeping camera angles, and the sound design, but to me the film became just that – an allegory of what is alternate to our world. And in doing so, in my mind, ‘Ghost Nets’ drifted out of the apolitical sphere of emotional drama, and moved into a more amplified commentary of what makes us human. And here in lies the best moment of the film, which highlights this verbose thesis of mine – the closing scene. From moving in towards the car on a wonderfully smooth shot, we turn away from the arguing couple towards our enigmatic Joe Sowerbutts, who moves out of the light, and towards the darkened woods.

There, in the darker shades, we observe his dismantling of the sordid items which have caused so many rifts in the last few days of his life, as well as his own humanity. With an overlaying track, a song which highlights the new ‘drifter’ status of Neal, we watch a new vagabound human emerge, one lost in the shadows, one obsessed with the past, or perhaps one with an uncertain future they will forge for themselves. What is certain at this point isn’t so much a plot notion, but rather a few very clear cinematic agenda: this short film is a well written, and a well executed project, one which allows for thematic issues to rise to the surface, and a project entirely unique to its perspective and message; which is incredibly rare for the normal ‘one tone’ short films. Mark Bousfield should be headed to feature filmmaking by now, as he’s somewhat outgrown the short medium in the best of ways.

The Weekend (2016, Dennis Cahlo )

With a formalist edit ‘The Weekend’ appears as yet another rehash of The French New Wave motif of bite sized narrative points streamlined into a style and cinematic plugging of ‘essential moments’ in life. And yet, despite its outset design, the film retains some of the best re-vamped FNW (acronym for French New Wave) tones one can imagine. Gone are the pastiche throwback references which Jean Luc Godard’s ‘Breathless’ suffers too heavily with, gone are the Truffautesque focus on meaningless and sexist female starlets, and how destructive they can be… here, in The Weekend, be it an effort on part of Dennis Cahlo to rework the FNW film model, or not, is a new FNW film.

One quite suitable for the contemporary viewer: its slick, its aptly made, and its moving. To me, this little short, be it by design or intent, is a complete new vision of all the good things about the FNW films; minus the French language (because, lets be honest, that is part of what made those films so cool).

Cahlo breathes fresh air into the domestic quarrels and unexpected encounters of strangers, his actors deliver defined performances, the editing is jumpy and plump with texture, creating oodles of meaning in seconds, and above all, there’s a certain naturalism to its stagy nature – almost as if Cahlo has managed to reduce Une Femme est une Femme into a bare charming short. Considering its budget, it is a fantastic little gem.

EARLY SUMMER 2016 Reviews

Extra Time (2016, Caris Rianne )

The strange thing about short films is once you’ve seen a random sample of about 100 of them from the same regions in the world (specifically western ones), all within a month or two, you become somewhat desensitised. They blur together covering several familiar themes: loss, fleeting romance, chases, escapes, survival, growing up and so on.

The special thing about Extra Time is just this – we have seen this film already. And yet, we haven’t, because it isn’t the dynamic which makes the theme new, or how the story is told to us in terms of plot… but rather how it is told to us in tone. This is what makes this particular take on the divorce ‘growing up’ story new.

Extra Time has been directed incredibly well by Caris Rianne through the sheer multilayered character relations which she employs. We have access to the family, the sibling, the father, the friends, and all within a few moments, we learn how they interact with one another, who does what and why. And this notion of detail is explored in other elements of the film – we have a very careful set of camera angles, edits are sparing and selective, and music comfortably enhances the film’s motifs.

The only criticism due isn’t a technical one, or even a negative one really, but – at times the film did feel rather ‘short’. The director, the cast, the team overall had achieved a great engaging effort here, one that they had perhaps outgrown by the end of the production. Perhaps a feature, or a more challenging short, will be their next step; as it is the one they are definitely ready for, having succeeded in making a fantastically engaging and warming short film already.

Dark Clouds Far Away (2016, Ian Lapworth )

Ian Lapworth’s ‘Dark Clouds Far Away’ is a documentary focusing on one family’s experience of dementia, specifically that of Lapworth’s mother, Beryl.

The film’s portrayal of the disease is quite carefully presented, balanced off of the memories discussed and presented to the viewer.

Stylistically the film is quite bare, reminiscent of avant-garde cinema – presenting its information as a series of episodic slide shows accompanied with a voice over and the occasional clip.

The difficulty of course of judging a film of this nature, as well as making it, go hand in hand. It is near to impossible to not remain unbiased to the content, rendering all viewer’s sympathetic; and this is in part the wonderful portrayal of Lapworth’s relationship with his mother – it is a raw film experience, personal and intimate.

Imitation is Suicide (2016, Julian Davis )

With its youthful ‘outsider’ take on the online era, ‘Imitation is Suicide’ approaches its story with a simplistic silent film.

This form though isn’t an imitation.  Though many short film directors often start with silent efforts in order to avoid large scale productions, here it is quite the opposite – extras pass on by with phones in hand, and the need for inter-personal dialogue just isn’t necessary as we have entered the information age of text typing and image swiping. Taking a step further, the film’s urge to maintain a simplified communication of its story, without much convoluted character development or contrived situations, allows it to become rather similar to those much loved film efforts of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. This is not to say that it is a classic, however – it isn’t an imitation of the current mode of filmmaking.

With its idyllic photography, and careful cuts, the film coaxed its viewers towards the single note function of the short’s narrative – finding another person like you.

Thankfully this early effort from its young director, Julian Davis, isn’t as preachy as the ‘anti-internet age’ efforts of Jason Reitman’s ‘Men, Women and Children’; and is a wonderful beginning towards what could develop into a well rounded filmmaker. The next step would be of course to use sound, to hear our characters speak, and to understand a bit more of what they think beyond their urge to read.

SPRING 2016 Reviews

Carthage (2016, Peter Vaughan )

So he’s stuck in purgatory? Unable to escape the carefully framed corners of the dark studio carefully lit with overheads, side lamps and dangling bulbs? I think we’ve seen this film before. Or have we?

I know over the course of my time working in film I have read many scripts with a similar plot, I’ve seen many films much like this one in terms of narrative, and have considered many of these kind of films rather pastiche. Though of course, they are all supposed to be parodies. But yes, they are pastiches of a particular type of aesthetic: the ideal of hell, the vision of an inescapable space… however, here’s the punch line, Peter Vaughan’s direction of this particular version of this vision is quite special. Though it does feel very compact due to its particular budget, it is also something quite brilliantly envisioned. There’s a breath to the visuals, the cutting between them in particular is quite slick and effective, and they all come together to form a coherent slippery vision of the ‘underworld’.

– heck, it even includes a sheep!

It isn’t the blooming white space in ‘Under The Skin’, or even the dingy passages the so-called alien of that film lures men into, but this is a fair effort into that kind of vision; and a respectable start from which Vaughan is bound to build on with his later efforts.

Amoo Nowruz (2016, Farkhondeh Torabi)

Farkhondeh Torabi’s ‘Amoo Nowruz’ is a delightful mixed media animation inspired by one of the ancient Persian tales about a woman waiting for her love’s return.

One of the most prominent elements of this short is its rather post-modern appeal – it is an old tale using some of the most distinctive silent film traits originating from the turn of the century, all the while performing the film in a digital matrix which is very much of our ‘current’ mode of image processes.

Here, the lead character, a lively daydreaming woman who is both large and thin, depending on where she stands, counts down the days, and prepares everything she can think of for the arrival of her man; only to then fall fast asleep upon on the promised date, and miss his appearance.

The tale though is both mystical, and much like many early animation exploits by Disney, a careful balance of realist and situational ethics. Though of course, the latter observation could be of my own projection, but personally I believe one could argue for this perspective, this female directed effort feels to me like a wonderful modern-feminist take on an tale: leave the woman to do all the house work chores, and she will only greet you with her snores.

The best bit of the film is its final reward to the viewer, much like the lead character, we feel rather exploited by the entire affair, all of this waiting and preparing, and they don’t even see each other? Not to fret though, a rather wonderful reward arrives at the final turn, and the film becomes a wonderful dreamy effort.

ALBA – Yesterday Belongs To The Dead (2016, Nicolás Olivera)

‘Alba’ by Nicolás Olivera is somewhat of an acted out documentary. Using what I assume to be untrained actors predominantly (in particular for the children), the film relies heavily on the political play of ‘what is real?’, ‘what is ethical?’, and most importantly in my opinion – ‘what is ethical cinema when it is unreal?’

At first, I was under the impression that the film was supposed to be a fictional take on the material it wanted to present, a kind of docu-drama style, but its photography lead me astray to think it was a political comedy, or even some sort of dark satire. That its well framed and stylish looks were a parody, instead of say a pastiche.

And then, with a second viewing, I came up with a better reading, which I felt better suited to the film: this is more of a docu-ethics-drama film. It appears to us slightly more polished than a documentary, there are no ‘to camera’ speeches or shaky camera work, however the ‘voice’ of the material is that of a documentary posing some sort of ethical dilemma which as viewers we are challenged into exploring through the perspective of a witness.

Furthermore, the ethics game imposed on the audience is that of asking us to believe something which is real in circumstance to be also real at playtime with children. Without the much needed filmic realism, this message becomes somewhat lost. Without the rougher look which is needed to make such a story appear ‘real’ to the viewer, or perhaps an even more polished effort, the lack of a reason behind its filmic stylisation becomes quite apparent; the film becomes purely academic in my eyes. It feels like an exercise in learning about these people living in these circumstances, rather than say sympathising with them, or wanting to explore the story they have to tell.

On the plane of academia the film sours, it becomes a coherent Brecht like piece, reminiscent of the playwright’s German depression era effort ‘Whither Germany?’ from 1932. It is moving nonetheless, aesthetically taught, and a lesson we should listen to. However, by no means does ‘Alba’ reach the emotional class of other filmic efforts depicting ‘realistic’ events, such as ‘Elephant’ by Gus Van Sant; the type of realist cinema which shocks and moves its audiences deeply.

PAGES 321 PART-1 (2016, Dir. Anugat Raj)

Like with Darren Aronofsky’s ‘Pi’, or even  David Cronenberg’s reworking of William S. Burroughs’ ‘Naked Lunch’; ‘PAGES 321 PART-1’ drifts in and out of being a work of part quasi-intellectual rambling, part character study and part art house romp.

The main issue here though is unlike the larger pieces produced by those previously mentioned heavyweight filmmakers is – this is merely a short film. Without the longer length to explore the style, or the pace with which to allow the audience to become attuned with its particular vocabulary and tone, we are somewhat lost as to what we should be taking away from the film as it hurdles towards its conclusion with quite a dreamy pace.

Not all though is at fault though, the performance delivered by Saurav Khurana is quite noteworthy – he’s restrained and physically bound to his character’s psychological state. Keshav Gupta and Aakash Rajput’s photography is slick, and very bold for a throwback effort towards the more avant garde black and white look, reminiscent of the early Hollywood ‘film noirs’ which flooded into France past the Vichy era. And lastly, Anugat Raj’s script and direction are well attuned to the material.

For me the highlight of the film was the exterior shot, the only one we are allowed – a brief moment where our character stands out on a balcony, and is surrounded by the image of his neighbours. The distance which unfolded here, revealing a layered background and foreground, provided an escape from the all too familiar white walls, an escape from the stuffed turtle that had died, and a much needed moment to clarify which ‘world’ it was we were viewing this film in.

The Dead Bird (2014, Damien Overton )

With its children’s book type voice over, angst youngsters and warm Australian vistas, The Dead Bird by Damien Overton is a spiderweb of multi-layered plots which carefully unfold using a beautiful cinematic language – the type of cinematic language which is usually avoided when making short films due to it being too complex or too intimidating to short film audiences. Overton’s efforts here are particularly of note, as he does not shy away from making something entirely unique and well rounded in just a few minutes.

The performances in the film are of special note: Alexander Gavioli’s clear voice, often barked at Ryan Lights’ Nick, keep a steady bolt on the tension building beats. There’s a particular harsh physicality to his movements, he seems almost caged within the frame, forever forcing the camera to follow him, and capture his speed. It’s a refreshing delivery, a far more realistic one than the traditional wooden movements often found in film.

Similarly, Lights’ face carries all of the frustrations and inner psyches of a fairly robust variety of emotions his character lives through. He slips in and out of different tones, and helps balance the film’s harsher notes with a particular softness to his delivery.

The photography, editing and pace of the film is also of special interest – the film finds a certain comfort within its timing, all the while configuring a delicate filmic ‘world’. Considering Overton’s previous dramatic efforts, a fresh faced filmmaker who has previously been stuck within the limiting space of theatre, it’s easy to spot that he has surely found some structural freedom within the images of cinema. He jumps from space to space, flips in and out of various time structures, and enjoys the full benefits of a Deleuzian time structure spun out of his rich short script.

The film conveyed multiple strands of thoughts – pain, love, loss… and furthermore, it compiled these themes into separate narrative strands which interweaved through particular character relationship dynamics: the father and his sons, the runaway and his lover, the dead birds and the youngsters. Its a complex piece, provocative, and especially memorable.

WINTER 2016 Reviews

A Place To Lay Your Head  (2014, Dir. Simon Adegbenro)

Steve Look’s Hitchcockesque thriller, ‘A Place to Lay Your Head’, is a great example of minimalist film-making. Set within one house, run by a killer, we explore the rooms scene by scene, unveiling the space. Its pace, subjectivity, and overall editing choices aid in its building of tension which reach a climax of a love versus ethics clash.

Reminiscent of ‘Frenzy’ (1972, Alfred Hitchcock), the film neither places the audience within a sympathetic or empathetic position with its lead; but – instead, we are levelled at a point of view with the witness, it is here, in the cinematic space of observer that we are shown the events as if we were in the room, inspecting the blow by blow occurrence.

What makes this film unique is its engagement with the current political tides of localised issues within the constantly expanding city scope: crime, over population, small living spaces. Furthermore, as the final murder is ensued, we reach a new progressive vibe towards love within the city – are we to be victims in the plight of unethical metropolises?

Perhaps the truth lies in the overriding vibe that the film is more of a parody than a pastiche, less political, and more satirical of our social structures, rules and moralistic ideas of what makes a victim a victim, and a murderer a murderer.

Last In First Out (2015, Dir. Henry Stephens)

It’s easy to watch films today whilst twiddling on your phone. The characters talk, announce as what and who they are. Where we are meant to look, what the meaning of a scene is, and how it all comes together is all part of the ‘talkies’ era that set in at the end of silent cinema. And it is an era we are stuck in still today, even perhaps at the most heightened state that it has ever been with the increase of phone conversations and news-broadcasters announcing all sorts of information in action and thriller films.

However, what we have here is a silent film. A contemporary silent. One which utilizes the skills and language of our current story telling arcs, as well as the ones originating from the bygone era of silent cinema. Whilst watching this film you can’t look at your phone, nor can you ignore the content on screen and just ‘listen’. You have to keep your eyes on the screen, just like our forefathers of film audiences used to.

What writer/director Henry Stephens has achieved is to authentically rewind the clocks for ‘Last In First Out’, and return to the 4:3 ratio, the black and white chiaroscuro, and altering image frame rates of the flicks. Furthermore, the language of the film, its steady shots, and careful editing of shot/reverse shot help tell the story through images. Perhaps though, the most important element of this short though isn’t its nostalgic form, but its pure heart. Like a Chaplin picture, the struggle of class, money and power rise to the top, and reveal the essence of what early films were all about. We have a story, some clear cut characters and a struggle for survival; just like the early cinema which Stephens attempted to capture, his film becomes more of a social commentary than just a meaningless reworking of past techniques. And that is what pure film is all about – the perspective one can take on whilst watching a film, the experience we are able to share, and the human story it can tell when we concentrate.

Temporary Discomfort (2014, Dir. Simon Adegbenro)

Enigmatic codes fill the opening scenes of ‘Temporary Discomfort’. We immediately open the short film with Derek as he checks in at a hotel. Our locale for the short is temporary – Derek does not live here, but there is purpose behind his visit.

Moments later Derek visits his old neighbour and asks ‘how are you?’, and receives no response. He then asks and is granted entrance into a room of someone he once knew, only to lie down.

We aren’t told what the significance of these moments are, but the reality is of their cinematic worth – we are here to decode the film, follow the trail of ideas and pursue the truth. It is this kind of cinematic storytelling which keeps a viewer’s interest: moments which are strung together as pictures rather than a picture book full of dialogue telling us what we should know and understand. The best element of this short is Adegbenro’s self restraint here, the plotting and use of narrative development feed the audience’s craving for information and atmosphere.

With nuanced steady camera angles, which restrict the audience’s point of view, the carefully crafted shots help align us with the perspective we’re suppose to take: an importance of time, space and circumstance become clear. Their length is also of particular interest, they often force us to observe Angus McGruther and Judith Shoemaker stuck and unable to escape; somewhat reminiscent of the motel ending of Vincent Gallo’s ‘The Brown Bunny’.

As the final turn is revealed, ‘Temporary Discomfort’ underplays itself. If the last plot point was at all predictable, it was also inevitable in the way simplicity is elevated and stylised intimately in this well produced short film.

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‘The 2024 Oscar Nominated Short Films’ Review: Small Running Times, Large Themes

Many of this year’s films take a darker turn, but there is some levity among the bunch.

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By Jeannette Catsoulis Maya Phillips and Ben Kenigsberg

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The Oscar-nominated short films are being presented in three programs : live action, animation and documentary. Each program is reviewed below by a separate critic.

Live Action

Whatever your takeaways from the live action section of this year’s Oscar-nominated short films, a good laugh is unlikely to be among them. Suicide, abortion, bereavement, discoloring corpses — they’re all here, in a deluge of downers that only the Danes (and, depending on your tolerance for extreme preciousness, Wes Anderson) can be trusted to alleviate.

Those Danes, though! In Lasse Lyskjer Noer’s magnificently morbid comedy, “Knight of Fortune,” two grieving widowers bond over toilet paper and the trauma of viewing a loved one whose flesh — as warned by a pair of ghoulish mortuary attendants — might be the color of a banana. Although, bathed in the sickly spill of the morgue’s fluorescents, no one’s complexion here is exactly glowing.

If “Knight of Fortune” is a gentle nudge to the ribs, Misan Harriman’s “The After” is a two-by-four to the gut — and not in a good way. Trafficking in the kind of forced sentiment that can break you out in hives, this handsomely shot movie, featuring a garment-rending David Oyelowo, follows a London ride-share driver in the wake of a shocking personal tragedy. A trite, bullying soundtrack herds us toward the histrionic climax of a film that doesn’t trust us to get there on our own.

6 Films Our Critics Are Talking About

Land of Bad

R | Action, thriller

Fighters on the ground are assisted by drone pilots, including one played by Russell Crowe, half a world away.

Read our full review.

R | Comedy, romance

Camila Mendes plays a broke assistant posing as an art world bigwig in this slyly charming romantic comedy.

R | Mystery, thriller

Lily Sullivan plays a podcaster investigating a supernatural mystery in this thriller.

The Space Race

Not rated | Documentary

The days of shooting for the stars are interpreted through the stories of people of color whose aspirations were thwarted.

God & Country

PG-13 | Documentary

This film follows the rise of Christian nationalist voters and argues that they threaten pluralism and democracy.

This experimental nonfiction feature aims to reflect on travel and tourism in Laos.

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The Big Short

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Watch The Big Short with a subscription on Paramount+, rent on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

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The Big Short approaches a serious, complicated subject with an impressive attention to detail -- and manages to deliver a well-acted, scathingly funny indictment of its real-life villains in the bargain.

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11 Must-See Short Films at TIFF 2024

With the Toronto International Film Festival starting, there’s plenty to look forward to on the feature front. There’s also much room for discovery among Short Cuts, TIFF’s dedicated program of short films. Spread across seven groups and one feature pairing, this year’s Short Cuts comprises 48 shorts from 23 countries, the most titles in the program since 2019. There’s also one major change this year in the form of Strange Cuts, a set of six genre shorts one might describe as a bite-sized take on TIFF’s Midnight Madness.

This year also has the strongest collection of shorts in some time, which is partly why I decided to highlight 11 titles this year as opposed to the usual 10 (a self-imposed maximum due to limited time more than a lack of wanting to write about more films). Below are my thoughts on these 11 highlights from this year’s program, and be sure to check out the rest of what’s playing in this year’s Short Cuts.

The Beguiling (ishkwaazhe Shane McSauby)

One of the most surprising shorts in this year’s program, ishkwaazhe Shane McSauby’s The Beguiling starts with a seemingly perfect date between an Indigenous man (Benairen Kane) and woman (Kim Savarino). She invites him up to her place and the two bond over their respective pasts and identities, until her focus on Indigenous culture becomes more of a concern than desire for connection. McSauby plays with genre expectations, starting out with romance, letting horror and comedy creep in, then finally revealing what The Beguiling is really about. Revealing the surprise would spoil the fun of watching McSauby’s film, but––without giving too much away––the insidious manner in which he blends genres goes hand-in-hand with the disturbing, relevant theme he addresses in the final minutes. If one sees identity as a place for people to find refuge and solidarity, The Beguiling serves as a playful reminder that it’s best to never fully let one’s guard down.

The Cost of Hugging (Louis Bhose)

Louis Bhose’s entertaining short opens at a bar in Ibiza where Erica (Josie Walker) looks utterly miserable while sipping a cocktail. She’s the right target for Jacques (Jonathan Aris), a skeevy lothario who tries wooing her into bed. But Erica, who’s unhappy in her marriage and career, has no interest in Jacques besides telling him why she’s suicidally depressed. Similar to The Beguiling , it’s best not to reveal much about The Cost of Hugging ; its enjoyment comes from the surprises within. Erica’s reasons for her emotional state are so flat-out ridiculous it’s hard not to laugh at them––until the plot takes a turn that takes things in an even more unexpected direction. What sells it is Walker’s committed performance as Erica, who conveys such palpable despair it’s a perfect contrast against an absurd story.

La Voix des Sirènes (Gianluigi Toccafondo)

You’ve probably seen Gianluigi Toccafondo’s work before, like his animation for Scott Free Productions . Toccafondo’s methods involve printing out photos that he draws and paints on to change the images entirely, giving his work an amorphous look that can veer between the beautiful and uncanny valley from one frame to the next. In La Voix des Sirènes , he tells the story of a mermaid creature who births two children before getting devoured by a shark-like animal, then follows the two separated babies as they grow and adapt on their own. At least that’s how I saw it: so much of Toccafondo’s hypnotic and unsettling film is an invitation to get lost in its images, colors, sounds, and music (Marco Molinelli’s excellent work on the score and sound are a vital part of what makes La Voix des Sirènes so compelling). It’s easily one of the must-sees in this year’s program.     

The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent (Nebojša Slijepčević)

The winner of this year’s short film Palme d’Or at Cannes drops viewers in a train compartment in 1993 Bosnia and Herzegovina, where several passengers deal with a group of paramilitary soldiers on a mission to capture any Bosniaks they find aboard. Given the historical subject matter, it’s easy to compare The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent to Jasmila Žbanić’s film Quo Vadis, Aida? , although both are strong examples of the dread and helplessness one feels in the face of atrocity. Despite the title, writer-director Nebojša Slijepčević focuses on a passenger who decides to keep quiet, then contrasts them with someone brave enough to speak against what’s going on. Rather than treat the film as a “What would you do?” scenario, Slijepčević remains ambivalent about each person’s actions or inaction, instead lingering on the horror of a situation with no ideal outcome.  

Masterpiece Mommy (Dorothy Sing Zhang)

There’s a lot going on in Masterpiece Mommy , Dorothy Sing Zhang’s musical about the fraught relationship between Tess (Christina Tam) and her daughter Justine (Leah Dou). After Tess gets injured in a fall, an X-ray reveals a lump in one of her breasts, prompting her doctor to order a mammogram. Sing Zhang’s approach to the musical is distinct: when Tess gets her mammogram, she joins a nurse in a duet, both of them singing off-pitch with the machine’s melodic sounds acting as backing track. It’s awkward and unconventional, but makes sense for a film about characters who can’t properly express feelings. The perspective then switches to Justine, who grapples with her own complicated emotions towards her mother through song. The music (with songs by Alex Minyailo and a score by Sebastian Gainsborough) bounces, without warning, from the orchestral to industrial. This mirrors Justine’s complex and messy personal crisis, and it’s through that process that both women find a place to move forward. It’s exciting to see Sing Zhang’s ambition throughout Masterpiece Mommy , where she makes bold, risky decisions that enrich the mother-daughter relationship at the film’s center.    

One Day This Kid (Alexander Farah)

Inspired by David Wojnarowicz’s artwork , Alexander Farah’s powerful One Day This Kid observes the life of a half-Afghan, half-Iranian child growing up with his strict family in Canada. Told in a series of brief yet formative scenes across the boy’s life, Farah shows the unspoken tension that builds over the years as the boy discovers his attraction to men, and how that realization strains the bond between him and his father. Farah develops this relationship and the protagonist’s identity through moments and gestures that should be relatable for anyone who’s gone through a similar awakening: being self-conscious of your own “femininity,” curious glances at men in pools and locker rooms, homophobia among teenage boys, and the ways parents talk around a truth they don’t want to accept. The film’s moving final section, where earlier scenes echo themselves in the lead’s adult life, packs a wallop in its portrayal of how the experiences that shaped him continue to weigh. 

On the Way (Samir Karahoda)

A father picks his son up from soccer practice, and on the drive home they make a detour to pick up a package from the post office. That straightforward premise gets complicated in On the Way , their simple trip turning into a dark, comedic portrait of director Samir Karahoda’s home country of Kosovo. Co-written by Karahoda and his son (who also plays the son in his film) On the Way establishes a generational divide between the father’s half-hearted patriotism and his kid’s pragmatic assessment of Kosovo offering few prospects. Karahoda’s direction counters the bleakness with a dry sense of humor through lengthy takes and fixed long shots, while his cinematography reflects the father’s conflicted state of mind. The drab, gray imagery of the vacant countryside has a striking look, implying an abandoned beauty in the surrounding landscapes.

perfectly a strangeness (Alison McAlpine)

Set in Chile’s Atacama desert, Alison McAlpine’s short splits itself into two distinct parts. The first takes place during the day, when three donkeys (credited as Palomo, Ruperto, and Palaye) wander around an astronomical observatory. McAlpine follows them while they silently walk from one building to another, with some rests in-between. The second part starts once the sun sets, the telescope domes open, and the donkeys watch the massive machines light up the sky. McAlpine’s structure of these events––where animals rule over the land during the day and the man-made telescopes take over at night––suggest an ongoing ritual between her subjects. The formal switch-up between these two sections, from observational documentary to fast-paced montage of arresting imagery, makes perfectly a strangeness an intriguing experience: McAlpine seeks out a connection between man, machine, animal, and the cosmos.

Sauna Day (Anna Hints and Tushar Prakash)

After her 2023 documentary Smoke Sauna Sisterhood , Anna Hints returns to the setting of Estonian saunas with co-director Tushar Prakash in Sauna Day . Hints and Prakash film a group of men in a sauna, sitting together awkwardly and making small talk until two men remain. Once they’re alone, they engage in an intense, erotic routine that involves whipping each other with branches. Sauna Day films the action in isolated shots, highlighting the men’s gestures and movements as signs of the contradictory nature of their behavior: distance and intimacy, sensuality and aggression, feelings expressed through actions rather than words, all within the confined space of the sauna. By the end, when we watch the men cool off outdoors in a state of bliss, we’ve witnessed something so intimate it’s as if being let in on someone else’s secret.

welima’q (shalan joudry)

A field of sweetgrass blows in the wind, filmed in a series of shallow-focus close-ups. Then, looking like giants from a low-angle shot, a woman and two children enter the field to pick and gather the grass. Director shalan joudry keeps the emphasis on the environment rather than the people. The soundtrack fills with blowing wind, buzzing insects, and chirping birds as we observe the woman and children move within the field, coexisting with their surroundings rather than intruding on them. In just five minutes, joudry creates a calm, entrancing, remarkable effort with welima’q , a feat of using a seemingly small set of materials to open a new world. The title, which comes from the Mi’kmaw language, gets translated to English at the end as a sentiment the film perfectly evokes. 

The Wolf (Theodore Ushev)

Theodore Ushev has been steadily making shorts since the 2000s, and he’s no stranger to the Short Cuts program. Ushev says his methods are driven by the stories he wants to tell: the work is defined by his approach, which involves experimenting with different methods of drawing and painting by hand or digitally. For The Wolf , which shows an ongoing battle between a hunter and a pack of wolves around his cabin, Ushev created the film with 3D animation and then, by hand, redrew each frame with acrylic paint. The results of that process are mesmerizing, a collection of abstract drawings that come together in motion in constantly unexpected ways. The tactile quality of Ushev’s painstaking work meshes nicely with his stripped-down story, which looks at the struggle between man and nature as a ceaseless back-and-forth with no real victor.

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On the surface,  Daddio  is a talker. It's a dialogue-heavy film, an unsurprising fact I suppose considering Hall's creative origins are rooted as a playwright. She also developed the 2020 television series  I Am Not Okay With This. Daddio  is a hard-sell for audiences, a small motion picture that takes place entirely within a yellow cab driven by Clark (Sean Penn). When a young woman we never know as anything but Girlie (Dakota Johnson) enters the cab at JFK headed for Manhattan, it's obvious we're in for something different.  

READ MY REVIEW OF DADDIO

If I were to describe the church at the center of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Eliza Griswold's "Circle of Hope: A Reckoning with Love, Power, and Justice in an American Church," I would likely use a term popularized by folks like Tony Campolo and Shane Claiborne - "red letter Christian." Started by Rod White, Circle of Hope could easily have been seen as a cousin to The Simple Way, the intentional community co-founded by Shane Claiborne that burst to familiarity after the popularity of Claiborne's "The Irresistible Revolution" became a bestseller. Claiborne's was a, and still is to a degree, the kind of popularity to which Jonny, one of the Circle of Hope pastors chronicled by Griswold, would likely aspire. It has been these kinds of churches that have drawn a broad tapestry of believers. These are people tired of church in the traditional way yet not quite ready to let it go. They want to do church differently. When White and his family founded Circle of Hope in hopes of creating just such a home, a different kind of church that would love all and include all. Words like emergent, new monastic, and others offer a way to understand these churches, but they have always tended to draw the "other Christians" - people wounded by the church or deconstructionists or people who simply believe there has to be a better way. READ MY REVIEW OF "CIRCLE OF HOPE"

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SHORT FILM REVIEWS

The Big Short

The pre-release buzz is true: This is not your father’s financial crisis movie. Nor, for that matter, is it “ The Wolf of Wall Street .” The money masters of the universe depicted in this film—and while their stories are interconnected, their lives are not, necessarily—barely drink a sufficient amount of red wine to get a good buzz on. Their buzz derives from an enhanced sense of smell. The closest to a “ Wolf ”-like character here is Ryan Gosling ’s Jared Vennett, the most standard-issue suit-and-tie banking bro of the bunch, and part of his schtick is to stand in a conference room sniffing ostentatiously because, yes, he smells money.

The money smelt, and earned, by the adventurers of this story of the real-life 2008 world economic meltdown is arguably tainted by bad karma. Based on a book by Michael Lewis , “The Big Short” is about how several traders and hedge fund managers made fortunes because they saw that the housing market’s decline would cause a collapse of bonds contrived from sub-prime mortgages. The terminology is both dry and dizzying, the machinations incredibly convoluted. The main thesis of the story, adapted for the screen by director Adam McKay and his co-screenwriter Charles Randolph , is that as banking became the top industry of the United States, bankers deliberately concocted Byzantine financial tools whose main function was to help the rich get richer and screw over the little guy. You can expect a lot of pushback against this film of the “where do these affluent Hollywood types get off criticizing income inequality” but that won’t mean the movie is wrong.

And it really is quite a movie: entertaining and engaging, but also mortifying; a good alternate title might be “American Horror Story.” The film intertwines three discrete storylines. The first focuses on Christian Bale ’s Michael Burry, a trained physician with very stunted social skills whose genius at analysis and numbers-crunching found him running a very successful West Coast hedge fund. After finding some terrifying data within the structures of a large number of mortgage bonds, he concocts a radical idea: to “short,” that is, bet against, the housing bond market, which the banks have puffed up as being unassailable. To do this he has to convince those banks to create a new financial tool, a kind of bond insurance policy. If Burry’s right and the market collapses, he and his hedge fund make stupid money. But for as long as the market stays stable, Burry and his fund are obliged to pay stupid money in premiums.

McKay is best known as the director of such comedic fare as “Anchorman,” and, for all the silly self-reflexive humor in those films, there’s a sly underlying intelligence animating them, and here that takes the form of celebrity cameos wherein attractive people such as Margot Robbie and Selena Gomez directly address the audience with cogent and colorful explanations of terms such as “sub-prime.” He also enlists “Anchorman” rep company member Steve Carell for one main role, as financial Prophet of Doom Mark Baum, whose own fund gets a whiff of what Gosling’s character is smelling and takes a piece of the action, in a partial fit of “screw the system” indignation. Carell’s self-torturing character is likely the closest thing this movie has to a directorial surrogate. Finn Wittrock and John Magaro play a couple of Jim Henson’s Hedge Fund Babies, mentored by Brad Pitt ’s Ben Rickert. Rickert’s character can be read as something of a slight sendup of Pitt’s own current do-gooder persona; he’s a former master trader who left the game out of disgust, and who preaches a hippie-ish quasi-survivalist gospel to his two young acolytes even as he helps them get pretty much super-rich.

I started off feeling skeptical about this movie: the hairstyles and clothes of the main characters were more ‘90s music-video than early 2000s, and the sometimes-color-desaturated flashbacks to some characters’ back stories were a little on the drearily commonplace side. But the narrative momentum, combined with the profane wit of much of the dialogue, and the committed acting going on beneath the hairpieces, all did their job. And they got across the angry, pessimistic conviction behind the movie, which is that the major banks all engaged in fraudulent, criminal activity, and that the U.S. government bailed them out at the expense of the little guy, and that there’s no indication that the banks aren’t going to do something like the exact same thing all over again. You are free to disagree. But this is a movie that uses both cinema art and irrefutable facts to make its case. It’s strong stuff. 

Glenn Kenny

Glenn Kenny was the chief film critic of Premiere magazine for almost half of its existence. He has written for a host of other publications and resides in Brooklyn. Read his answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here .

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‘Merchant Ivory’ Review: Documentary About Legendary Partnership Falls Short of Recognizing Their Artistic Power

Christian blauvelt.

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“Does it not strike you as odd that she should play so wonderfully? Play Beethoven with such passion? And live so quietly? I suspect one day music and life will mingle.”

In his documentary, “Merchant Ivory,” Stephen Soucy pays tribute to this extraordinary duo who went on to make “Maurice,” “Howards End,” and “The Remains of the Day.” It’s certainly full of affection and care for the lives they lived — Ivory, though a pioneer in LGBT cinema with 1987’s “Maurice” especially, barely talked in public about his sexuality until the release of “Call Me by Your Name” in 2017, for which he won an adapted screenplay Oscar — while admiration for their work is presented as a given. Maybe Soucy’s right: If you’re already watching a documentary about Merchant Ivory Productions, you don’t need to be told that their films are great.

But this sloppy, scattered documentary, very much lacking the refinement of Merchant Ivory’s own films, is a missed opportunity to explore why their films are great, what exactly is it that makes viewers return to them time and time again. It’s the problem of Stephen Kijak’s 2023 doc, “Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed,” all over again — a lot of attention paid to the subjects’ personal lives, much less about why those subjects were great artists.

In one of the new interviews Soucy conducted, Hugh Grant talks about the joy of working on “Maurice” and how film sets back then “crackled with subliminal lust,” as opposed to everyone just looking at their phones in down moments now. Some of the interviews are more successful than others: Soucy presents a moment of Vanessa Redgrave pushing back on him because she wants her interview to be the best that it can be as a sign of how difficult she must have been to work with on “The Bostonians.” But, of course, she couldn’t have been that difficult, because Merchant and Ivory hired her again eight years later for “Howards End” and even that much later for “The White Countess.”

It’s understandable that Soucy would not want to denigrate other films. But such an implication would have been conveyed simply by assessing a little more deeply what made Merchant Ivory’s own films so very special. Music and life did mingle in their work. And, to paraphrase Mr. Beebe again, it was very exciting for us indeed.

“Merchant Ivory” opens in New York City and Los Angeles on Friday, August 30.

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