Short films are a wonderful medium of creativity, and the best thing about short films is that most of them are free to watch online. Instead of binge-watching a 10 hour season of House of Cards, try watching a 15-30 minute short film, it's just as satisfying and a lot less time consuming.
The Film: “I’m Here”
How Long Is it? 30 minutes
Why Is It Worth Watching?
Written and directed by Spike Jonze (Her, Where The Wild Things Are), "I'm Here" is a sci-fi love story between two sentient robots with themes similar to the popular children's book, "The Giving Tree."
Andrew Garfield (The Amazing Spiderman) stars as Sheldon, a shy but kindhearted robot, who meets and befriends Francesca, a female robot with an adventurous and fun-seeking personality.
With a soft, dreamy soundtrack playing throughout, “I’m Here” is a thoughtful and imaginative examination of selfless love and pure devotion. What compels us to sacrifice what little we have for the ones we love? Love is beautiful and impactful, but also terrifyingly ambiguous and unknown in its longevity. The film offers an earnest, if incomplete, explanation on love and the crazy things we do because of it.
Where Can I Find it? YouTube
The Film: “Some Boys Don’t Leave”
How Long Is it? 16 minutes
Why Is It Worth Watching?
“Some Boys Don’t Leave” is a raw, painful reminder that breakups are hard, especially when one side isn’t quite ready to break yet.
Starring Jesse Eisenberg (Now You See Me, Adventureland) as “Boy” and Eloise Mumford (50 Shades of Grey, The River) as “Girl,” the film explores the pain of being unable to let go. Set in the hallway of the girl’s apartment, “Some Boys Don’t Leave” delivers emotional, tense scenes and heartache-inducing performances that’ll leave you with empathy for both parties involved.
Where Can I Find It: Daily Motion
The Film: “Johnny Express” and “Wire Cutters”
How Long Is It? 5:29 and 8:42 minutes respectively.
Why It’s Worth Watching:
Reminiscent of Pixar, both “Johnny Express” and “Wire Cutters” are animated shorts filled with cute character designs.
“Johnny Express” centers on a lazy space delivery man who encounters difficulty delivering his latest package. Hilarity ensues when he carelessly lands on a planet filled with tiny inhabitants.
“Wire Cutters” focuses on a pair of adorable mining droids stuck on a desolate planet. It’s very easy to compare the film to Wall-E; however, Wall-E is more of a cautionary warning about large, societal issues like waste management and other environmental problems, while “Wire Cutters” tells a simpler tale about the dangers of greed.
Where Can I Find it? YouTube
The Film: Successful Alcoholics
How Long Is It? 25 minutes
Why Is It Worth Watching?
Directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts (Kings ofSummer), this dark comedy features Lizzy Caplan (Masters of Sex,Mean Girls) and T.J. Miller (Silicon Valley, Our Idiot Brother) as a pair of dysfunctional, yet successful, alcoholics who help enable each other’s severe drinking problem.
Caplan and Miller effortlessly emit charm out of each joke they deliver in their disquieting, restless portrayal of alcoholics.
Cringing, witty, and uncomfortable, “Successful Alcoholics” is an authentic and uncomfortable depiction of alcoholism shown to us through a comedic lens.
Where Can I Find It? YouTube
The Film: “Noah”
How Long Is it? 17 minutes.
Why Is It Worth Watching?
Created by Canadian film students Walter Woodman and Patrick Cederberg, “Noah” depicts modern romance in a highly creative, yet apt manner, by having the entire film take place on the main character’s desktop. It’s enthralling to watch Noah’s attention span at work. Through a first-person perspective, we see Noah Skyping his girlfriend, Facebook-chatting his friend, browsing the internet, etc. “Noah” accurately captures how social media has heighten our insecurities, specifically in our relationships.
Warning: There's brief scenes of male-frontal nudity during a Chatroulette sequence.
Where Can I Find It? No Film School
