94th Oscars: Nominated Short Film Reviews

While I usually try to catch a couple of the Oscar-nominated short films, this year, I made it my goal to try to watch as many as I possibly could. The Academy Awards have been notoriously terrible at picking short films, and this year certainly has some bad ones, but there are some notable works nominated alongside them. All in all, I managed to watch all of the Animated and Documentary short films - however, I have yet to see one of the Live-Action category (Ala Kachuu is not available online in the United States). 

These reviews are organized by category, from my favorite to least favorite. 

Animated Short Films

Bestia (dir. Hugo Covarrubias) - 9/10

The animated category is my favorite of the short film categories, and this film blew all of its contenders out of the water. Told almost entirely wordlessly, it documents the true story of a Chilean secret service agent and her brutal participation in the military dictatorship of the time. It is beautifully animated and cerebrally disturbing.

Boxballet (dir. Anton Dyakov) - 6/10

This film has stellar animation and is entertaining overall, but it doesn’t amount to anything, and any emotional or moral conclusion that someone could draw from this would be bland and derivative. That being said, I love the animated short format so much, and this is a perfect example of why I love it: an endearing, show-don’t-tell story designed to display exceptional artistic skill above all else (which isn’t to say that animated shorts can’t or shouldn’t have substantive meaning!). I wouldn’t be outraged if this won, but I think that because it’s Russian, it may not stand a chance right now. 

Robin Robin (dir. Michael Please, Daniel Ojari) - 6/10

Robin Robin is nothing to write home about but not much to complain about either. The music is fun at times but ultimately becomes its biggest flaw. The story is reminiscent of Fantastic Mr. Fox but slightly more manufactured and cookie-cutter, with the aesthetic feeling almost corporate at times. It will likely take the award, given that it's a cozy crowd-pleaser suitable for all ages.

The Windshield Wiper (dir. Alberto Mielgo) - 5/10

The Windshield Wiper is fantastic at times and insufferable at others, meaning that its polar inconsistency is its biggest flaw. The animation is not consistently eye-catching - sometimes, it’s downright ugly. The story is occasionally thought-provoking but is otherwise agonizingly on the nose. Its lack of subtlety is preachy rather than tasteful, and it results in something frustrating that is ultimately forgettable. 

Affairs of the Art (dir. Joanna Quin) - 4/10

Gross and unorthodox simply for the sake of it. A little bit funny, but it mostly just made me feel sick. Affairs of the Art would have a lot of potential if it wasn’t so unnecessarily bothersome. It’s a totally unpleasant viewing experience that doesn’t tie in any underlying meaning. 

Animated short films I wish were nominated: Bad Seeds, Step Into the River, and Flowing Home. 

Live-Action Short Films

Please Hold (dir. K.D. Davila) - 7/10

This Black Mirror-esque short is a surrealist view of a technological police state in which Mateo, a young man, is arrested without knowing why and incarcerated in a for-profit corporate prison. The allegory is far from subtle, but it is mostly effective, illustrating how the current state of America’s economy needs prison & ex-convict labor to stay afloat. However, the film’s main flaw is that it seems to be using the prison industrial complex to highlight the dangers of tech, when it should be the other way around. Please Hold is definitely memorable and does not overstay its welcome, but a few minor tweaks to its structure could turn it into a masterpiece.

The Long Goodbye (dir. Aneil Karia) - 6/10

Riz Ahmed is one of the best actors of this generation. With the exception of him, this movie is only ok. It’s an important story, no doubt, but the ending that’s supposed to be very emotional just sort of petered out. However, it’s still pretty impressive what it manages to do in only ten minutes.

On My Mind (dir. Martin Strange-Hansen) - 5/10

On My Mind is the perfect movie if you love amateur karaoke, mediocre plot twists, and feeling no emotions for twenty minutes. It isn’t terrible, but pretty disappointing that the Academy nominated this over other notable short films this year. 

The Dress (dir. Tadeusz Lysiak) - 5/10

Rarely is there a film that I watch that leaves me with no takeaways, but this is one of them. I found that this movie left me with absolutely nothing by the end. The lead actor was good, but the content was very unaffecting. 

Live-action short films I wish were nominated: Les Grandes Claques and You’re Dead Helene.

Documentary - Short Subject

Three Songs for Benazir (dir. Elizabeth Mirzaei & Gulistan Mirzaei) - 8/10

This film is delightful and sincere. It’s urgent, but not in a sanctimonious way like some of the other shorts are, and the imagery is gorgeous. Something irked me about how the story was presented (I think the editing was the most significant issue), and its depth was inconsistent. Some moments had a lot of body, and other times they seemed nearly empty. However, I’ll have faith in the Oscars documentary branch if this wins. 

The Queen of Basketball (dir. Ben Proudfoot) - 7/10

The quality of this doc primarily relies on Luisa Harris’ charisma, but it’s still a worthwhile short otherwise. Cringy editing at times, but I was pleasantly surprised and thoroughly engaged. It's inspiring, leaves you with a smile, and feels like a good use of twenty minutes. 

Audible (dir. Matthew Ogens) - 6/10

It's a significant movie that feels like it is biting off more than it can chew. It discusses so many critical social topics and stigmas, but the runtime doesn’t allow them all to be fleshed out. It results in something contrived that desperately deserves to be a feature film. Of course, there are plenty of constraints that prevent this from happening (budget, time, access, resources), but the story is not something that should be rushed and needs to unfold itself much more patiently. 

Lead Me Home (dir. Pedro Kos & Jon Shenk) - 3/10

It tries so hard to be Streetwise (1984) but fails miserably. Lead Me Home overindulges itself on its sleek big-budget drone shots, montages, and aesthetic focus pulls, making it sickening. It feels more like a vanity project for Netflix than an intimate portrait of people dealing with homelessness. The final product does a terrible job of illustrating the lives of its subjects. 

When We Were Bullies (dir. Jay Rosenblatt) - 2/10

It's unbelievable to me that someone thought this would be a good idea for a short film, and NOT ONLY THAT but that it should be over half an hour, and NOT ONLY THAT but that it should be released to the public, and NOT ONLY THAT but that it should get nominated for an Oscar. When We Were Bullies is an agonizing half-hour of the world’s most boring man describing an instance of bullying that took place 50 years ago and how he deeply regrets it. Yet, he concludes with sympathy for bullies and an unempathetic perspective towards victims. It's a laughable waste of time that swiped a nomination from several much more deserving films. 

Documentary short films that I wish were nominated: A Broken House, Takeover, and Lynching Postcards: Token of a Great Day.