Short thoughts on the 2025 Oscar Animated Shorts
SPOILERS AHEAD
Went to see the 2025 Oscar Animated Shorts. More misses than hits. If I had to describe the theme of the five entries, it would be: "Dads are people too... and a lot of dongs."
I'll go in order.
Magic Candies A young, lonely boy eats magical candies that give him the unique ability to speak to objects—his couch, his dog, and so on. The story touches on aging, death, and the love of a single father. I think children will love it because of its fantastical elements. The animation style is beautiful. There’s one scene where all the leaves are falling (cheerfully saying goodbye) that is jaw-droppingly gorgeous. I liked it!
Under the Shadow of the Cypress Tree A father suffering from PTSD and his daughter must deal with a beached whale. Loved-hated it. Animation-wise, the character design feels extremely out of place compared to the gorgeous environment. That said, I loved a lot of the stylization. Some scenes, like the PTSD hallucinations, are absolutely amazing and deserve awards.
Story-wise... just super confusing. I think the short could have handled transitions better. Thematically, it’s a bit of a mess. The father has PTSD and has to sink his ship (representing his past burdens) to... be reborn? I don’t know. It feels like it’s trying to be more profound than it actually is.
Yuck Kids learn about kissing and think it’s absolutely gross. Hated it. Boring animation style. I felt nothing for the story. Should not have been nominated. I just got mad sitting through it.
Wander to Wonder I can’t even explain the plot because it’s so unhinged. But basically, three six-inch-tall child actors from a puppet show have to survive when the show’s creator passes away.
Absolute masterpiece. Loved it. The animation style is fascinating. This is a short review because I want to write a separate post about it. Brilliant, brilliant. Should be the Oscar Shorts winner. Lot of dong.
Beautiful Men Three brothers go to Istanbul for a hair transplant... except there’s only one appointment. Meh. Super long. Super boring. The animation is visually interesting, but it dragged. I think it’s trying to say something about men’s insecurity with aging and their looks… but it doesn’t really land on a clear message. Lot of dong. Also, I don’t see the point of this story being animated—it could have easily been done in live-action.
Ranking: Wander to Wonder Magic Candies Under the Shadow of the Cypress Tree Beautiful Men Yuck
I don't think it's worth going to see the animated shorts this year honestly.