My favorite short films
They are not ranked perfectly as IMDb is super clunky. I love all these movies. I don't enjoy crazy post-modernistic movies without plot. I enjoy: clever fast plot, good acting, snappy dialogue, steady camera work, well developed theme.
I will explain why these movies got their rank. I explain it from a short film writer perspective as I know a bad plot when I see it.
I tried to find the best possible high quality link to all these movies. All links are official uploads except for the Pixar and Marvel movie links.
I will explain why these movies got their rank. I explain it from a short film writer perspective as I know a bad plot when I see it.
I tried to find the best possible high quality link to all these movies. All links are official uploads except for the Pixar and Marvel movie links.
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- DirectorDevon AveryStarsBrian DietzenErinn HayesJames is all too eager to put his one-minute time machine to use in winning the heart of Regina, until he discovers the unexpected consequences of his actions.Best short film ever made. Fun from start to finish. A great short film is supposed to make you want to experience that world in a safe way, but also make you want to see the characters succeed. This one also makes you want to rewatch it. If I never want to rewatch a movie it means I don't like it enough and it's max a 7/10.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBkBS4O3yvY - DirectorPaul EmersonStarsDanny GutierrezDane HansonMike HeimDane only has one chance to make a stellar first impression. Good thing there's a lie detector present at his job interview! *BEEP* He's screwed. And he's going to find out just how much the truth really hurts.Interesting from start to finish. Fun and interactive. It's just a good concept and humor that is concept relevant.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjVVNuraly8 - DirectorLauris BeinertsStarsEleanor ByrneOrion LeeAbdiel LeRoyA funny business meeting illustrating how hard it is for an engineer to fit into the corporate world.Another classic because it makes fun of a real thing that most educated people have seen in the work life. This one was a huge smash hit online and people still mention the kitten joke from it on random forums.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKorP55Aqvg - DirectorGary RydstromStarsSheb WooleyA teenage alien is trying to abduct a sleeping human, but doesn't know which switch to use.Interesting and weird concept that still feels real because the emotions are true to real life.
Easily found online. But I'm not sure Disney has an official version online. - DirectorPhilip SansomOlly WilliamsStarsNapoleon RyanA sleep-deprived office worker photocopies a "Black Hole" late one night. Suddenly, the possibilities seem endless. Will greed get the better of him?Perfect for 3 minutes. Basically do this creative stuff if you try to stay under 3 minutes and only have 1 single actor. Try to have a clear and interesting goal from the get go and an interesting concept to go with it. Don't ever just have a concept alone!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijEfmJLV5PE - DirectorCody Blue SniderStarsMitchell JarvisKathy SearleLiam FoleyFool's Day is a dark comedy about a 4th grade class that pull an innocent, April Fool's prank on their teacher...that accidentally kills her. Panicked and convinced they will go to prison, the blood splattered classmates try to cover up the murder and dispose of the body before their D.A.R.E. officer shows up for his weekly lesson.Another hit online. It's a long short film that never overstays its welcome as it keeps the story going and always looks amazing on screen. Many short films made with new digital cameras look stunning! This is also why I tend to watch newer short films as I can make out all details.
https://vimeo.com/146832939 - DirectorGiancarlo FiorentiniJonathan GrimmStarsJon GabrusHannah Pearl UttTwo strangers participate in an experiment designed to make them fall in love by asking each another 36 increasingly personal questions.Funny as hell! I coudln't stop laugthing. This guy is a comedian genius. All interacting were funny here and the jokes nearly always landed.
https://vimeo.com/148308809 - DirectorDavid MaddoxStarsAllyn CarrellCole WhitakerMykle McCoslinA well meaning math teacher finds herself trumped by a post-fact America.A woman battling greater powers. Feels like a short movie as it feels like a grand fight that you are invested in. The small woman vs. the great evil powers!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zh3Yz3PiXZw - DirectorAlex CallerosStarsMikie BeattyDan BecknerAdele WatkinWhen a down-on-his-luck inventor builds a time machine to change the past, he unwittingly sets off a disastrous chain of events.This one is criminally overlooked. How come millions of people haven't watched it already? One of the people who made it made later on made a Youtube channel about screenwriting which become very popular. And this film clearly reveals some amazing writing talent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTO0ogdNMdY - DirectorNino MancusoStarsSean WingAngela TrimburAmmar Ramzi MahmoodAfter Sean and his girlfriend watch a Jake Gyllenhaal movie, Sean suspects his girlfriend has a crush on the movie star; but as Sean's suspicion grows, his fear seems to manifest their fateful encounter.Wow, great acting, great directing, great music use. All scenes have tension and emotion and you always know what the motivation is. This is great!
https://vimeo.com/245525269 - DirectorPeter SohnStarsTony FucileLori RichardsonBabies both human and beast are created up in the stratosphere, by the clouds themselves. One cloud specializes in "dangerous" babies, creating a challenge for his loyal stork that has to deliver them.I included cartoons too, but it's cheating in a way as you can much easier include more events in a short cartoon as you can direct actors to do anything. I could easily make a top 10 list with only short cartoons. They are often really fast paced which is rule number 1 for short films.
It does exist online in HD. But I'm not sure there is a legal link to it. - DirectorCraig D. FosterStarsAinslie CloustonArka DasAdam DunnA man must race home before nightfall - or his terrible secret will be let loose.Really well done and well filmed on glorious digital camera. The pacing is great. It's weird, but the plot makes sense which is hard to pull off as most short films are either just weird or make sense but are predictable.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQALKPDhXx8 - DirectorRalph EgglestonStarsRalph EgglestonA group of snooty birds roosting on a telephone wire get their just deserts when a goofy bird drops in.Just silly fun. It's to the point and you can easily follow the "plot".
Seen 7m times here so I assume it's a legal Youtube version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T63MCogI4sM - DirectorPhil JoanouStarsThomas JaneRon PerlmanSammi RotibiFrank Castle is staying in a bad neighborhood, where he encounters a gang that terrorizes its residents.This one is a fan favorite. It's great and gruesome. For sure pulls you into this world. There are actually very few raw and realistic short films that are any good. Most are silly and over the top. This one feels like a real, but violent world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWpK0wsnitc - DirectorAnthony MeltonStarsRachel BrightJake HendriksBeth CooperSet on one fateful night, six friends gather for their monthly 'games night'... and accidentally unleash a demonic force that might tear them - and their friendships - to pieces.Amazing concept! It's simple but there is no clear plot or theme. It's still really fun to watch. If it had plot it would be one of the most interesting movies on the list. Right now it's great, but not amazing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9jd6lyGvMI - DirectorRuairi RobinsonStarsMax RecordsJenni FontanaJames NardiniA young boy living in the near future looks for an escape from a home with arguing parents. As a way to cope with the recent arguments from his parents he receives a robot companion that he ends up abusing.Fun simple concept. Not much plot. The production value is high and I like how the director used slow scenes without dialogue to convey emotional points. The director is a great talent.
https://www.shortoftheweek.com/2011/03/20/blinky/ - DirectorMichael GoodeStarsNathaniel BuzolicDaniel LissingDavid RitchieA desperate lie spirals out of control for three hapless engineering students as they try to outwit their lecturer, from Emmy-nominated director Michael Goode.Fun to watch. The story is pretty much a perfect example of how you don't overstay your welcome. I see too many boring 15 min long short films that could be great fun if they were 5 minutes long. An okay editor can make gold out of the many boring short films out there. The most important thing is to have a fast paced and plot focused script. The director and writer must constantly ask for feedback as you need several drafts to even get an okay script. Learn from experience. Do not, ever, overstay your welcome.
It's reuploaded a lot. Linking to a HD version here:
https://vimeo.com/18487974 - DirectorCarles TorrensStarsJoe HursleyRonnie Gene BlevinsAesop AquarianA man wakes up one morning to realize the entire world has dreamed about him the night before.This is a pretty fucked up and over the top movie. The idea is simple and is presented in the first 10 seconds which is often essential in a short film. Of course the director is now working with popular features. The talent is obvious.
https://vimeo.com/59773155 - DirectorFrançois AlauxHervé de CrécyLudovic HouplainStarsBob StephensonSherman AugustusAja EvansPolice chase an armed criminal in a version of Los Angeles comprised entirely of corporate logos.French movie about USA. This is craziness that never slows down. The initial plot makes sense, but then suddenly it feels random. But most short films seem to focus on just some concept over story.
Unfortunately there are some short films that the director doesn't upload or that are reuploaded by multiple people in bad quality. So I'm linking to a HD version of it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAKopCwGlcc - DirectorAntonio Oreña-BarlinStarsAdam DunnAnthony GeeIsaro KayitesiThey say a picture tells a thousand words; sometimes, it's better to keep your mouth shut.Funny and keeps the motivations coming. You always know what the character wants and you feel it. This is required for any short film! 90% of short films have long stretched of time where you can't really know what any character wants or why.
https://vimeo.com/155902660 - DirectorJustin HardingStarsAva JamiesonAlana ElmerJarrett SiddallBree, a dishonest 9-year-old receives a terrifying visitor after a parenting lesson goes horribly wrong.Simple but interesting. It's about a simple daughter-mother interaction, so don't expect a huge plot. Horror short films seem to focus on a scary concept, but nearly always forget plot and story. The title is amazing. Most short films have titles like: Car, Fear, Chair. And those type of boring names make them really hard to find on IMDb and Youtube. Don't ruin your chances of success by making your movie hard to find. Of course if the movie is amazing people will track it down. But I rather spend a few minutes looking for your movie than 10 minutes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8eif77HLN0 - DirectorKevin OeserStarsLexi AinsworthJennifer Ann BurtonJennifer L. DavisA family man returns to his hometown to settle affairs, but discovers he is the last person in town who is not part of a legendary pyramid scheme. And all the others want him in.Silly fun. The plot itself is not amazing, but the acting and quality if top notch. And I feel like the message is a needed one. But it lacks a cool ending. Yet again the concept rocks, but the story feels weak.
https://vimeo.com/106241499 - DirectorCrash BuistStarsCrash BuistJonathan MedinaMike TraversAfter stealing a magical book from a wealthy suburban home, Mike opens the artifact to discover it is prophesying his murder. Faced with his imminent death, he must return the artifact to his killer in order to rewrite his future.Super weird and feels like part of a bigger project. But what we have here is fun and interesting by itself. It's just incomplete and ends abruptly. But so do most short films. Which is why the great ones are hard to find.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WmhMePukgg - DirectorAngus MacLaneStarsAngus MacLaneTessa SwigartIf BURN-E (a welding robot) had known how much trouble he'd be caused by WALL-E's pursuit of EVE, then he'd have taken the day off.This plot takes place during the Wall-E plot. This robot reacts to the stuff that happens in that movie. Genius! Must have taken ages to write. But again, the plot is not conclusive. It's just a clever concept. Watch short films for the concept and you will feel satisfied. Unfortunately writing good plot is extremely hard. I try to do that in all my scripts, but it's just so damn hard.
Some of these films are hard to find online. Directors, please don't forget to do your writer and actors are huge service and upload the movie online in HD. Please. - DirectorJason A. KesslerStarsJonathan FlandersKatie KohlerEman EsfandiA Hollywood script reader comes across a script that may or may not lead to the horrific death of anyone who passes on it.This is pretty much a 1-to-1 illustration of the creative industries. This is how it is.
https://vimeo.com/234154930