by Shane Conto, Staff Writer
Welcome to The Short List! Each month, I treat you to a collection of short films. Hopefully this list will inspire you to check out some of these gems…
A Family Guide to Hunting (Tribeca)
What would you do if you accidentally shot your boyfriend while out on a hunt with your parents in the woods? That is a scenario we all face (of course), but it’s an even better setup for a dark and funny short film as well. A Family Guide to Hunting is quite the experience, as it is drenched in blood and laughs, but more importantly, themes. We have a young Asian woman at odds with her mother. Her now shot and deceased boyfriend was an “off-the-grid” libertarian type. Super white of course, and completely against her mother’s wishes. But this shocking little film is about finding your voice and taking the autonomy for your own life. A strong and small cast of actors really make this short film come together as well. The blood and laughs are just the cherry on top.
South Park: The End of Obesity (Paramount+)
What could Trey Parker and Matt Stone have left in the tank after all these years? South Park is still finding ways to shock and challenge audiences 27 years later. The latest short film The End of Obesity swings wild with some stories and themes that are truly on point for the show. The way this new Paramount+ special navigates obesity, drug reliance, and the American healthcare system is quite biting and hilarious. There are fun and odd musical numbers that just hit in the right way (only Parker and Stone can deliver such outrageous songs like this). The plot is a web of conspiracy from big pharma to the sugar industry to small town MILFs obsessed with their shrinking waistlines. The Randy subplot gets to some wild places with its hilarious inversion of drug use “expectations”. But it is the third act climax that spoofs one of the best actions scenes ever is just an infinite delight. Another big “W” for Parker and Stone as they keep audiences coming back for more.
The Spider (YouTube)
What if becoming Spider-Man was more like a body horror film? We saw the recent short film from Sony which takes a more psychological horror approach to what Spider-Man might deal with, but The Spider, a new fan-made short film, takes it to a whole new level. Since the film has such a low budget, some of the acting is amateur and a bit subpar. But then you have the more technical aspects which sell this unnerving experience. They hide the lack of computer-generated effects well with certain shots using some creative editing. The makeup and such is grotesque and disturbing in all the right ways. Seeing Peter rip skin from bone and vomit the most disgusting bile is quite frightening. Filmmaker Andy Chen certainly finds influence from The Fly and goes with a more “accurate” and grotesque spin on what a spider-human hybrid would look like. The Spider is quite the departure and is such a fun concept with some solid execution — it is Spider-Man unlike you have ever seen him before.
Logan the Wolf (YouTube)
Are you ready for more Marvel fan films? This time, the genre has not changed, but the style and location certainly have. Logan the Wolf is a thrilling ride for its short runtime, as Wolverine is altered to be a Viking warrior who must go toe-to-toe with a crew of antagonists. There is even a nice surprise antagonist at the end that just makes this simple conflict so much more satisfying. This story lacks depth, but it makes up for it with straight adrenaline. The gory effects (this is a hard R-rated take on Logan) work surprisingly well for a fan film made for not a lot of money. Additionally, the stunts are authentic. The choreography is top-notch and shocking for such a small film, and the filmmakers really know how to maximize them. There are minimal cuts in this thrilling action short which is brutal and thoroughly entertaining. It’s is a macho and hard-nosed approach to Logan and done is such a rich and unique environment for the character.
The Burden (YouTube)
Think of the weirdest musical you have ever watched, and The Burden might be the top competition for any film you have in mind. This Swedish stop motion musical takes audiences into a world made up of anthropomorphic animals in toy form, who take us through plenty of frustrating and anxiety-inducing scenarios. The day-to-day mundane frustrations feel extra real in this strange yet oddly familiar film. The surrealist aspects are leveraged well, including a finale that shows us a physical manifestation of who we all feel floating around this world of madness. Each musical number hyper-fixates on anxieties that many people struggle with on a regular basis, which makes the themes so authentic and feel extra strange when delivered through such abstract and unexpected ways. The music is catchy, and the techniques are impressive. This is a little flick that will be swimming in your head for a long time after viewing.