All Dogs Go To Heaven

Set in a dystopian future where an internal neural chip makes emotion void. F.1 (Cindy Claes), a government scientist, finds herself in a dilemma when a test subject, Grace (Monika Valkunaite), doesn’t take to the procedure, unearthing erased past memories and F.1 questioning her own morals and the long-term consequences.

The opening sequence starts with a group of subjects explaining their experiences with the Unneurolink chip in flat, monotonous voices. All cogs in a machine. This cuts to the leading character, F.1, going into her monologue about Unneurolink and the effects it’s had on humanity. It tries to sell a positive insight to begin with, but we already get this unsettling feeling that something’s not quite right.

F.1 is presented to us in an emotionless and regimented way, exactly how Unneurolink intended. Just another enforcer that gets the job done. From the beginning, the film is set in a sterile environment with a cold colour palette. It uses effective visual effects and editing to convey the future and how hope is lost for humanity.

Whilst working on Grace, the only goal is to get her ‘fixed’, meaning to eradicate her emotions. Brain scans are displayed to show the activity across Grace and how it seems impossible.

The tension between the two reaches a climax when Grace lashes out. F.1 begins experiencing flashbacks full of colour and joy, a dramatic moment followed by tears and heightened music.

The film’s title ‘All Dogs Go To Heaven’ is stated in dialogue to portray how lost and corrupt the world has become. How humans are just pawns and emotion equals weakness.

Towards the end, lighting is used to portray a sense of hope and connection between characters, using silhouettes and dialogue to create closeness.

The storyline offers a thought-provoking exploration of humanity and the consequences of eradicating emotions. The opening introduction sets that premise up: a group of soulless soldiers to the system. A hierarchy of scientists to test subjects shown through the cinematography creates a constant sense of uneasiness. This is shown through shots on the table looking up, subjects feeling like they have no body autonomy.

The editing immerses us into a future world whilst still feeling realistic; it is not overbearing and keeps us on track with the storyline.

Overall, F.1’s character could have been fleshed out more and that may be due to pacing. The turnaround of the characters’ emotions could have benefited from a slower pace, giving space to such a switch-up, especially towards the end.

The ending loses its momentum a little and could cause potential confusion with viewers.

Sci-fi is hard to get right, especially on a smaller budget, but as a short film, it sends out a strong message.

It is courageous but remains relevant about technology and society ever-developing. The cinematography and sound marry perfectly together, both high quality and impressive for a lower budget.

They nail the intention of this film and leave us pondering on the ethics, values, and what has been lost.