Latest Short Film Reviews

A short gothic psychological supernatural horror film directed by Kelly Holmes, written by Matthew White and starring Carly-Sophia Davies, Jack Parry-Jones, Sharon Morgan, Gareth Jewell and Lewis Mackinnon.

The story takes place in Wales, during the mid-19th century. A male infant has just passed away due to an illness and it had not been baptised. His grieving young mother, Jemima (Davies) is desperate for her son's soul to be saved as he passed away without been baptised, so she secretly enlists tha aid of a young man named Thomas (Parry-Jones) to perform a forbidden ritual that will save the boy's soul.

A dark period horror film that focuses on the aftermath of the passing of a child. Although the plot is distressing, it certainly is intriguing. Initially, the atmosphere is melancholic and is supported by Alan C. McLaughlin's gloomy cinematography and Die Hexen's dramatic music that includes striking cords. As things move towards the sinister and supernatural, creative sound effects take place such as constant whispering and the appearance of a demonic entity that involves impressive special effects. Then, there is the mise-en-scene, which convincingly places the viewer in the 19th century thanks to the work by costume designer Anastasia Crossley. The dramatic screenplay includes regular use of the Welsh language, making the film's time setting more believable.

Taking under consideration that the story revolves around the death of an infant, it would be fair to consider that some viewers might find that upsetting, particularly when the baby's lifeless body is shown lying inside a small coffin.

All five protagonists deliver strong performances. Davies is outstanding and very dramatic as a grieving woman who wants her child's soul to be safe and is determined to go to great lengths in order to achieve that. Parry-Jones' character could be described as a sinister one. A person who performs forbidden religious rituals and whose behaviour makes it questionable whether he can be trusted. Morgan is the deceased child's grandmother and she (along with Jewell who plays Jemima's partner) are unwilling to brake any procedures involving the child's passing and neither is the priest who is portrayed by Mackinnon.

This film explores heavy themes. The main one is death, the death of a baby and the loss and grief that follow such a devastating event. Then, there is religion, deception and the search and hope for redemption. From a different perspective, subjects involving life in 19th century Wales are brought to light, including the religious procedures following a person's passing, the family values of those times and the Welsh language, a language that is acknowledged considerably in this short.

A dark gothic horror film with superb acting and a downbeat and sinister atmopshere. Although a horror story, the atmopshere feels primarily sad as the narrative is the aftermath of an infant's passing. The film is probably best categorised as a period supernatural horror film about a ritual and it is highly recommended for horror fans and those who appreciate a good story.

Renters: The Holiday special is a follow-up to amateur filmmakers SixBananasinaKnot’s Renters – a short, irreverent snapshot of the mania that ensues when disturbed young men are tasked with sharing the same living space and making monthly payments. The follow-up maintains a frenzied humour and direction, but lacks a comprehensive throughline to justify a sequel (to the knowing admission of the filmmakers…)

Starring Dylan Manley, Darragh Boland, Leigh Carroll and Shane O’Grady – reprising their roles as a gang of eccentric reprimands – the film follows the gang as they embark on a homemade film project. The ‘Holiday’ part of the film’s title does some seriously heavy lifting as there is little festive about the short, but an unlikely effort to make it big as amateur directors leads to a few chuckles.

The appeal of Renters comes from the filmmakers themselves. There is something admirable about an unapologetic piece made by and for a group of mates and released out into the world to find whatever audience shares the same sense of humour – likely those in a similar living environment where you are never quite sure if your roommates have psychotic tendencies.

The opening credit openly admits that the guys are out of ideas – and its hard to really pinpoint what the point of the film is beyond breathing more life into the gang from the first short. Their capturing of the rental life makes this watch enjoyable and relatable (even though most people will not have experience of being the subject of their cohabitants amateur film project), though it is hard to make this a sales pitch in of itself. Prior knowledge of the characters from the first film is a must to have an appreciation of the group’s dynamics and circumstance.

For a homemade production, the dialogue is quite impressive, and the cast deliver it with conviction – bolstering the unlikely world of the renters and making their characters believable (or as believable as they can be given their actions…). Most of us will have known a Dylan or Darragh in our lives through Uni halls or from paying a grand a month to flatshare with 8 people because how else can you live in London these days… and their bizarre, directionless lives will bring up old memories for viewers.

Renters: The Holiday Special is odd – much like its predecessor. It’s an admirable effort from its amateur filmmakers who deserve credit for throwing ideas out there. Although it fails to raise as many laughs as the original. The filmmakers say they are out of ideas, and most viewers will agree. But ideas were never really the point of the series anyway…

The Revolt of the Bovine is an odd but enjoyable new animated short film from Scott Kingsnorth which follows a couple of cows as they ponder power and politics. We witness the characters eventually wreaking havoc across the world under the rule of a domineering bull. The story is effectively a satirical retelling of George Orwell’s Animal Farm – in fact, the book is explicitly referenced in the film’s opening moments – but where it greatly differs is in its love of the ridiculous. Through its witty representation of deeper subject-matter, the comedy becomes both accessible and thoughtful.

Aiming to entertain – in part – through the filmmaker’s incredibly British, sardonic sense of humour, the short combines vulgarity with commentary. One could argue that much of the comedy is inspired by a Monty Python-esque sensibility. This can be seen especially in one shot in which a human is squished and killed by an animal, with that classically jarring animation. The picture’s script also reflects a similar comic ambition, with its acidic tone complementing an already absurdist aesthetic. It’s great fun when a film isn’t afraid to do joke after joke; and for a piece of such a short runtime, it wouldn’t make sense for this kind of comedy to go any other route. The director also voices the character of the farmer, who bookends the piece by dryly joking about cows’ intelligence and/or stupidity. This framing device gives you a good sense of the kind of matter-of-fact, emotionless attitude which adds to the specific brand of comedy, and is prevalent throughout the short.

In terms of the film’s animation style, it could very well be described as striking a tone between the minimalist existentialism of Don Hertzfeldt and the handmade vulgarity of South Park; both elements serve as great strengths. The filmmaker understands that they have to play to their limitations – in that it’s a low-budget cartoon made entirely by one individual (an impressive feat in and of itself). Yet it’s through the purposeful ugliness of the character designs, and the simple direction on display, that the work finds its unique and endearing personality. Namely, audiences are bound to find a lot to enjoy about the disturbingly detailed appearance of the animals – the vivid definition of their outlines giving a slightly gross, overly realistic idea of a cow, for instance. It’s just so strange to observe, while also being visually inventive.

The Revolt of the Bovine accomplishes what it sets out to achieve, and the fact that it manages this within its six-minute runtime is a testament to the writing and structure. I’d be interested to know why the filmmaker wished to use their humour and mode of animation to tell this story in particular, for it would certainly feel like a slightly random watch were you to stumble across it. But then again, due to its style and short-form storytelling temperament, this piece is absolutely designed for the internet (not to sound like a backhanded compliment, its internet success just feels inevitable). It’s a thoroughly entertaining movie which showcases some amusing animation.

Writer-director Adam Boland has chosen this film title to promote the fun element of learning making it relatable and engaging for the audience. Boland has incorporated the comedy genre to enhance and establish the subject matter. Conor Carberry, Ryan Klatt, and Conor Doonan are experienced and talented actors, making the content shine in front of the viewers.

The plot of Learning Is Fun revolves around a young lad who goes to do his theory test but gets wound up into a Russian gun smuggling.

The movie- Learning Is Fun begins with a combination of close-up and mid-shot which reads some information regarding booking the theory test. There are a series of mid-shots utilised to showcase the intricate details between the tester and Mark Klatt helping the viewers to understand the storyline as well as the characters during the conversation. The set design, black and white colour pallet, natural lighting, and sound, camera angles, dialogues, costume, hair, makeup, and props are kept simple and therefore, complement the comic timing in the narrative.

In the performance department, Conor Carberry plays the tester who is frustrated with his married life and his wife Carol. Carberry utilises his body language, and voice modulation to hide his inner turmoil and bring out the dominant avatar all through the running time of the movie.

Ryan Klatt plays the role of Mark Klatt who comes to the driving school theory test centre. Mark is tensed about the test wants to do his best to get the driving license as soon as possible. The young actor portrays the simple innocent side of Mark beautifully and the audience wants to protect the character as soon as they realise what’s in store for him.

Conor Doonan as Dan is very enthusiastic and funny with excellent comic timing even though the screen time for him is very limited, he manages to make a mark in the viewer’s mind. They tend to remember Dan and smile even after people have finished watching Learning Is Fun.

Learning Is Fun talks about being enthusiastic, calm, soft and positive regarding every testing phase in life. The short film reiterates how crucial the role of a true friend is when one needs motivation, encouragement and that slight extra push to face tricky times. The cinematic piece highlights the nature of adding many life lessons which are essential to leading life as one wants to. The creative piece also focuses on reminding the viewers that that challenges keep coming up even after one has achieved a certain task or goal and one needs to be prepared for each one till the journey called Life ends.

The post credit scene included by the makers at the end of the movie gives a sense of inclusivity to the audience and also a chance to learn a lot from the narrative.

A short drama written and directed by Melissa Skirboll and starring herself and Jeanine Bartel.

Jessie (Bartel) and Shana (Skirboll) are sisters and Jessie invited Shana to her New York City apartment for a meal, just the two of them. The two of them have not been in regular contact for a while and this is an opportunity to catch up. After a pleasant beginning, the atmosphere becomes dramatic as Jessie accuses her older sibling of being distant, having lost contact with her and their troubled mother.

A home meal that turns into an argument about commitments. This film does a great job in creating drama and exploring the two protagonists. Jessie's accusations regarding her sister's behaviour are what creates the plot and moves the story forward. It becomes evident rather early that the main reason Jessie invited Shana to her home was not for a friendly chat but to make her understand that for a long time she has been ignoring her and their mother, who seems to have a mental disorder. Shana claims that she disappeared because she was been busy with work and her personal life, however Jessie refuses to accept that as an excuse and repeatedly tries to convince her to become more committed to her sister and her mother. There is a lot of drama and heavy emotions and a surprise plot twist and Louis Robert King's score adds to the atmosphere with the piano melodies.

Skirboll also worked on the editing and does a good job witht the dissolve technique. However, there is a brief sequence during a tense monologue by Jessie that utilises dissolve and the result feels awkward. A simple cut would probably had been better. Other than that, this short is fine.

Both Bartel and Skirboll deliver amazing performances. As mentioned, Bartel's character is the one who creates the plot with her perspective regarding her sister's failure to keep in touch with her loved ones. A restaurant manager, Jessie has been looking after her mother, despite having a busy schedule and she is upset that her sibling has not followed her example and intends to change that by making her see the errors of her ways. Shana is naive and stubborn, insisting that she is not to blame for anything.

Perhaps the main theme is acknowledging priorities, especially when it comes to family values, stating that people should do their best not to lose contact with loved ones. The film also focuses on self-reflection, regrets, reminiscing about the past and understanding one's mistakes.

A dramatic story about a woman who is massively disappointed that her sister has drifted away. The acting is strong and the screenplay succeeds in keeping the story intriguing and exploring the characters. Plus, the clever revelation at the end moves the atmosphere towards thriller territory.

The name of movie-Dead Cat Film would initially establish the short film to possess a serious tone to the narrative. The writer-director Nathan Miller and Josie Charles turn to the comedy genre to make it interesting for the audience with an unexpected twist. Talented actors like Josie Charles, Will Gao, Huge Bonneville, and Julie Lamberton play their parts so efficiently and effectively that they all complement the comedy genre as well as the idea of the writer-directors.

The plot of Dead Cat Film revolves around a young woman who accidentally kills her flatmate’s cat. To add to her troubles, she becomes increasingly attached to its taxidermied corpse.

Dead Cat Film begins with a black screen along with upbeat music followed by a mid-shot of Florence driving a car in the night while talking on the phone and ends up killing an animal. This sequence forms the gist of the subject matter of the movie. The set design, the combination of black, white, dark green colours, and a slight yellow-bluish undertone provide the dark comedy element to the storyline, sound, natural lighting, camera angles, dialogues, costumes, hair, makeup, and props are kept simple so that the narrative shines therefore increasing the degree of audience engagement with the content.

In terms of performance, Josie Charles plays Florence a beautiful independent young woman who is very passionate about welfare for animals but has certain nuances in her character arc that help make the screenplay intense. Charles beautifully understands all the layers and performs according to the demand of the narrative.

Will Gao plays the role of Alex Clio the cat’s owner. Alex is a sweet simple person a good friend to Florence. Alex becomes sad hearing his cat being killed by his friend and also gets shocked after discovering a strange unexpected twist in the tale. Gao with his acting skills builds a pretty good chemistry with Josie Charles which brings out the essence of crucial subplots.

Huge Bonneville is a senior actor who gives his voice to Clio Alex’s cat. Bonneville provides life to a cat’s emotions, needs, and wants which are similar to humans. Bonneville as Clio and Florence’s conversation is written very effectively with the element of realism and relatable. The chemistry between Clio and Florence is very unique and special.

Dead Cat Film teaches us the value of relationships like friendships and the bond between the owner and their pets. The short film talks about the importance of expressing emotions and needs openly or else people would have a tough time dealing with difficult situations in their lives. The cinematic piece reiterates how crucial it is to take care of and love the voiceless animals especially those who are disowned or suffering in any way possible.

To conclude, I liked how the makers have given the short film open-ended so that the audience gets a chance to interpret it differently. It is a smart way to get the viewers to think about it even after they have watched it.

A short animated film written and directed by AJ Spencer.

A warrior woman does battle with a strange monster. That is the general plot of this poorly-made animated short. To be more specific, the story takes place in a snow-covered location (where exactly is not explained), where the heroine, Saska, a young woman whose face is covered in clown paint, is tending to her flock of sheep when they are attacked by a massive green creature that resembles the entity in The Blob, only that this one also has what appears to be tentacles with mouths full of sharp teeth. A battle ensues, followed by events that are caused by the creature's desire for revenge. The story seems to be set in the past, maybe early twentieth century judging by the characters' clothing and the weaponry that includes swords, rifles and a machine gun.

This film was made using computer animation and has a duration of approximately six minutes. Just to make it clear now, this is not a recommended viewing for a variety of reasons that will be mentioned below. What is good about this short? Is there anything about this short that could be commended? Perhaps that would be acknowledging the fact that people created something, even if it is flawed but at least they created something.

Now, what is negative about this piece of filmmaking (if it could be classified as such). To begin with, there is the animation. The computer animation makes it look like the film was made thirty years ago and the characters' movements do not look great either, in fact they look very mechanical. The sound effects include gunshots and roars and their quality is rather poor. There is some decent dynamic music, however the melody of a medieval flute is also present at certain times throughout and listening to it feels awkward as it does not match the content of the images. The characters have very few spoken words and narration is utilised in order to help explain the story. The voice-over is a male voice and it sounds unenthusiastic. What about the story? Although a plot concerning people going against a giant deadly monster is intriguing, the way the narrative is executed, separated into chapters and with events that make no sense, such as a boat with soldiers appearing out of nowhere, makes it feel like their hardly is a story.

What about he performances? The voice acting? As mentioned, the narration sounds dull and the little speech that exists is no better. Nothing else to add here.

The themes in this film? This is a story about good vs evil. It is a story about finding the inner strength to save people and defeat evil.

How to summarise? This is a poorly-made animated fantasy short film. The apparent intention was to create something that can be acknowledged as a decent achievement. Unfortunately, that is not the case and most viewers are likely find the experience laughable.

What if you had to rush the consumption of your beans on toast? And what if your boyfriend seemingly forgot about your birthday? But most importantly, what if these two unrelated occurrences coincided with gastronomically disastrous results?! These are some of the amusing questions which Remone Jones’ new five-minute comedy Baked Beans poses to its audience. The film tells a simple story of one woman’s unfortunate encounter with circumstance. We begin with the appearance of the titular beans on toast – a meal which our protagonist Tameka slightly begrudges, because she should be doing something sweet with her boyfriend Liam on her birthday. But it’s not as simple as that – her boyfriend, in fact, has not failed to remember, and has something planned for the special day. The beans, however, pose an obstacle. It’s a tonne of fun and incredibly watchable; a well-formed comic piece.

The performances featured in the short are absolutely terrific due to the confidence of the actors. For how heightened and humorous the movie is, the characters are completely believable. Oddly it’s through their big, expressive use of vocal expression that brings the performances both a hilarity and a realism – we believe in our protagonist’s annoyance in her boyfriend, and, in turn, her embarrassment come the film’s payoff. I’d also like to mention the authenticity of the opening conversation between our main character and her friend. The dialogue is funny in a satirical sort of way; you can feel that the scene is being used not only to convey information but to establish the silly but endearing tone.

The cinematography is strong, and also demonstrates a similar sense of amusement. Specifically, the opening shot – that of a perspective shot from inside the can of beans – shows a high level of inventiveness. Then again, in terms of the negative, one might question the use of the widescreen format. When viewing the camerawork and direction, it almost feels as if the compositions might have been even more interesting were it to adopt a more conventional 1.85:1 format. This kind of visual style doesn’t require an extended frame, and prioritises clarity over complexity; so, the black bars are just cutting off visual information as opposed to adding to the aesthetic. For clarification, though, this is a really well thought-through movie in terms of its look, even if a couple of choices don’t entirely translate.

The best thing about the audio and music is its consistency. An intelligent use of sound design comes towards the story’s end when the main character is given noise-cancelling earmuffs to wear by her boyfriend while he sets up the surprise. A wonderful attention to detail is how the sound itself becomes muffled as well, and then fades back to being clear and sharp when the earmuffs are removed. Not only does this place the audience in the sensory perspective of the individual, but it also leads into the final joke of the film which everything has led up to. Beans on Toast is based around joke structure and elegance, and having the viewer experience a pleasingly elaborate setup before the payoff.

People often say don’t let the past affect the present as well as the future. The director Sarah Johnson and writer-director Laura Winckles deep dive into the crime/ revenge genre to give us an intriguing script showcasing the complexities of relationships in the lives of our female protagonists Eva (Sarah Johnson) and Mia (Laura Winckles).

The plot of the X_X revolves around the discovery of a cryptic photo. The relationship between the two best friends shatters, leading to a spiral of revenge, betrayal and fatal confrontation that unravels long buried secrets.

The short film begins with upbeat/mysterious music, opening credits, and a few opening shots playing to introduce the leading ladies to the viewers increasing the degree of audience engagement with the content from the very start. A long shot followed by a series of mid shots is utilised by the makers to add the element of thrill and pace into the storyline to maintain the viewer’s interest. The set design, white, black, red, blue colours utilised for colour pallet, a combination of dim lighting and bright lighting to demonstrate the change in mood, music, dialogues, costumes, hair, makeup, and props are effectively incorporated in the narrative to elevate the climax.

In terms of performance, Sarah Johnson plays Eva who is a strong girl but is still healing from a heartbreak in the past. Johnson understands the nuances, and layers her character has in her personality portrays it convincingly to make her relatable in the eyes of the audience. Johnson beautifully depicts the emotional rollercoaster Eva experiences with each subplot in the story.

Laura Winckles plays Mia Eva’s best friend who appears to be helpful and kind but has a lot of things to find out about her as the screenplay progresses by both Eva and the viewers alike. The young actress showcases body language, voice modulation, facial expressions, and eyes needed to demonstrate revenge, betrayal, and a huge showdown in the climax.

X_X talks about the efforts required to keep any relationship working for a long time and how a dirty secret/ unwanted behaviour can bring it crashing down forever with no chance of making it the same ever again. The short film reiterates the importance of peace of mind, prioritising taking care of one’s mental health instead of going back to something which can be further detrimental to the same. The cinematic piece teaches the audience that one should get rid of all negative emotions like jealousy, regret, betrayal as well as revenge because life is very valuable and not worth losing for petty things. The creative piece also talks about how crucial living in the present is without worrying about the past or the future because one cannot control either.

To conclude I would like to appreciate Sarah Johnson, and Laura Winckles for keeping the viewers hooked on to the content even with less than 5 minutes run time. The Sequel is a good idea to appeal to the viewers who choose to come back and watch the second part.

A short post-apocalyptic, sci-fi film independetly financed by crowd-funding and private investments. The film was directed by Carl Timms, written by Mark Brendan and Carl Timms and stars James Cosmo (Game of Thrones) and Alison Steadman (Gavin & Stacey).

Something terrible has happened that has turned the world upside down, causing death and forcing people to hide for safety. John (Cosmo) is an elderly man who is trying to keep himslelf and his partner, Grace (Steadman) away from the deadly threat. John has brought Grace to the countryside where they now live in isolation inside a shack. Grace is unwell and in bed, while John surveys the surrounding areas, making sure that they are safe and places bear traps here and there. The catastrophic event that took place involves some sort of infection that turns people into menacing beings, however they can still appear human. One day, a stranger (Marc Baylis) arrives at their place and requests accommodation. Can he be trusted?

This short has an impressive production value that convincingly creates a post-apocalyptic environment where life-and-death situations are common. For one thing, there are the people who have been infected by the threat, who are referred to as ''The Shining Ones'' because their eyes tend to turn bright blue and glow and they also make vile shrieking sounds. Thanks to the special effects and the actor's performances, their presence is quite sinister. The threatening and uncanny atmosphere is supported by Paul Angier's beautiful cinematography and Matthew Steed's ominous and dramatic music that includes sombre piano melodies. As for the narrative, it does a great job in creating suspense and tension, with dramatic dialogue and fight-to-the-death scenes.

Then there is the plot twist. It is a clever one and it changes everything regarding the story when it is revealed. However, some viewers might dislike it and believe that it damages the film. It could be argued that a twist was unnecessary and that the story would had been fine without it.

Cosmo delivers a dramatic performance as a tough man, determined to survive and protect his wife. Patrolling the woods with a spade as a weapon and comforting Grace, he is simultaneously a warrior and a caring person. Steadman is emotional as an ill woman who is terrified by what is happening.

Since the setting is a post-apocalyptic world, it should not be surprising that two major themes are survival and desperation. Along with these, there is support and caring that are explored in interactions between John and Grace and trust and distrust that are dealt with in the rapport that John builds with the stranger. And there is mental health that is a subject throughout but primarily surfaces towards the end.

A short post-apocalyptic film with fantastic performances, an intriguing story, heavy drama and plenty of tension. It is depatable whether the plot revelation is a plus or a minus, nevertheless, this is an experience that is worth pursuing.