Short Films Watchlist
by max4movie | created - 03 Jan 2021 | updated - 1 month ago | PublicAn ongoing chronological list of all short films (<60 minutes) I watched, starting January 2021. The list will be continuously updated. I will not rate short films, however, I will mark those I highly recommend with a star. Also, I will add the date (yyyy-mm) and whether I already saw it (Latin numbers).
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1. Sherlock Jr. (1924)
Passed | 45 min | Action, Comedy, Romance
A film projectionist longs to be a detective, and puts his meagre skills to work when he is framed by a rival for stealing his girlfriend's father's pocketwatch.
Director: Buster Keaton | Stars: Buster Keaton, Kathryn McGuire, Joe Keaton, Erwin Connelly
Votes: 56,962 | Gross: $0.98M
An awkward film projectionist dreams of becoming a famous detective. Wonderful comedy with spectacular stunts, marvelous performances, and an entertaining, light-hearted plot. 2021-01*
2. Anima (I) (2019)
15 min | Short, Music
In a short musical film directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, Thom Yorke of Radiohead scores and stars in a mind-bending visual piece. Best played loud.
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson | Stars: Thom Yorke, Dajana Roncione, Frida Dam Seidel, Joseba Yerro Izaguirre
Votes: 13,341
Experimental music film focusing on songs of Thom Yorke about how people connect with each other. Visually impressive and with poignant direction. 2021-01*
3. Peter and The Wolf (2006)
G | 32 min | Animation, Short, Adventure
An animated retelling set to Prokofiev's suite.
Director: Suzie Templeton
Votes: 4,322
Stop motion animated adaption of a classic musical story about a young boy and his struggles with a hostile wolf. Visually brilliant and beautiful storytelling. 2021-03
4. The Hand (1965)
18 min | Animation, Short, Horror
A delicate and secluded ceramist sees his orderly life turn upside down, when a gigantic hand in a white glove invades his space, demanding that a sculpture of itself is made. When will the hand's obstinate demands stop?
Director: Jirí Trnka
Votes: 2,046
Surreal stop motion animation drama about a potter being oppressed by a gigantic hand. Perfect handcraft with an important subtext. 2021-03
5. Traveling While Black (2019)
20 min | Documentary, Short
An immersive virtual reality documentary experience about the risks faced by blacks on the road in mid-20th Century America, and the safe spaces as listed in the famous guide, The Green Book, where they could eat and sleep.
Directors: Roger Ross Williams, Félix Lajeunesse, Paul Raphaël, Ayesha Nadarajah | Stars: Virginia Ali, Sandra Butter-Trusdale, Courtland Cox, Amanda King
Votes: 76
VR documentary about the risks of traveling as a Black American in mid 20th century US, inspired by the Green Book. Well-produced and immersive experience with authentic and honest interviews. 2021-04
6. Dear Angelica (2017)
12 min | Animation, Short, Drama
Dear Angelica is the story of Jessica, a teenage girl looking back on the stories her mom told her as a child. As she recreates these vivid landscapes in her mind, you're pulled into the magical and dreamlike worlds of her memories.
Director: Saschka Unseld | Stars: Geena Davis, Mae Whitman
Votes: 54
A young woman recreates vivid memories of her dying mother, a famous actress. Animated vr short movie with impressive visuals and an engaging story. 2021-04
7. Pearl (II) (2016)
6 min | Animation, Short, Music
Set inside their home, a beloved hatchback, Pearl follows a girl and her dad as they crisscross the country chasing their dreams. It's a story about the gifts we hand down and their power ... See full summary »
Director: Patrick Osborne | Stars: Nicki Bluhm, Kelley Stoltz, Emma Grace Eisenmann, Emerson Rose Orr
Votes: 2,103
Follows the young girl Pearl and her father, a poor street musician. Animated vr short movie with a touching story told mostly through visuals. 2021-04
8. Lichtspiel Opus 1. (1921)
13 min | Animation, Short, Music
Against a dark background, several bright, curved or rounded shapes pulse towards the center of the screen, one at a time. They are followed by many other shapes, some irregular, some ... See full summary »
Director: Walter Ruttmann
Votes: 966
Experimental art short film that mainly depicts various shapes in bright colors going through different states of motion. 2021-04
9. Blood of the Beasts (1949)
22 min | Documentary, Short
Bucolic scenes from the outskirts of Paris are contrasted with stark footage from slaughterhouses.
Director: Georges Franju | Stars: Georges Hubert, Nicole Ladmiral, Alfred Macquart, Maurice Griselle
Votes: 2,595
Complex and horrifying documentary depicting a day inside a large slaughterhouse in postwar Paris. 2021-05*
10. Der Lauf der Dinge (1987)
Not Rated | 30 min | Documentary, Short
Inside a warehouse, a precarious 70-100 feet long structure has been constructed using various items. When this is set in motion, a chain reaction ensues. Fire, water, law of gravity as ... See full summary »
Directors: Peter Fischli, David Weiss
Votes: 949
Shows the chain reaction of physical and chemical effects of an intricate set of objects. 2021-08
11. The Voorman Problem (2011)
TV-PG | 13 min | Short, Drama, Fantasy
Doctor Williams is the latest psychiatrist to deal with a smug patient called Voorman who claims to be God himself. Although skeptical, Williams soon gets an eerie feeling that openly malicious Voorman is not simply insane.
Director: Mark Gill | Stars: Martin Freeman, Simon Griffiths, Tom Hollander, Elisabeth Gray
Votes: 1,242
Surreal and dark comedy about a psychiatrist interviewing a man who thinks he is God. 2021-09
12. The Man Who Planted Trees (1987)
30 min | Animation, Short, Drama
The story of a shepherd's single handed quest to re-forest a barren valley.
Director: Frédéric Back | Stars: Philippe Noiret, Christopher Plummer
Votes: 6,113
Animated drama about a shepherd rebuilding a forest during the course of several decades. 2021-11*
13. Frosty the Snowman (1969 TV Short)
TV-G | 25 min | Animation, Short, Comedy
A living snowman and a little girl struggle to elude a greedy magician who is after the snowman's magic hat.
Directors: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr. | Stars: Jackie Vernon, Billy De Wolfe, Jimmy Durante, Paul Frees
Votes: 21,464
Animated adventure about a young girl and a magical snowman travelling to the North Pole. 2021-12
14. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964 TV Movie)
TV-G | 47 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
A young reindeer Rudolph lives at the North Pole. His father is one of Santa's reindeer and it is expected that Rudolph will eventually be one too. However, he has a feature which is a setback and causes him to be ostracized: his red nose.
Director: Larry Roemer | Stars: Billie Mae Richards, Burl Ives, Larry D. Mann, Paul Soles
Votes: 37,466
Animated stop-motion fantasy adventure about Santa Claus' most famous reindeer. 2021-12
15. Dinner for One (1963 TV Short)
Not Rated | 18 min | Short, Comedy
At Miss Sophie's 90th birthday dinner, her butler James must fill in for her four departed friends - and that includes lots of drinks before every course.
Directors: Heinz Dunkhase, Franco Marazzi | Stars: Freddie Frinton, May Warden, Heinz Piper
Votes: 7,954
Comedy about the annual tradition of an elderly lady drinking with her already deceased friends. 2021-12
16. Fire (PoZar) (2020)
10 min | Animation, Short, Horror
Fire, given by a mysterious figure, creates a hole in the world through which something terrible enters and leaves the world burned and overrun by strange insect figures.
Director: David Lynch
Votes: 817
Abstract animation short about mysterious creatures bringing a destructive fire into the world. 2022-01
17. Rabbits (2002)
43 min | Short, Drama, Fantasy
In a nameless city deluged by continuous rain, three rabbits live with a fearful mystery.
Director: David Lynch | Stars: Scott Coffey, Rebekah Del Rio, Laura Harring, Naomi Watts
Votes: 8,251
A surreal and satirical perspective on classic sitcoms with a moody atmosphere. 2022-01
18. A Colour Box (1935)
Not Rated | 3 min | Animation, Short
Animated shapes dance to Cuban music. This was one of the first animations to be painted directly onto the film.
Director: Len Lye
Votes: 973
Direct animation film that is a novel and unique classic in the genre. 2022-02
19. Free Radicals (1958)
5 min | Animation, Short, Music
Display the graph that follows traditional African music's voice strains of sway, between music and graphics so mix and so gave the impression of beauty in the melting pot of musical art and graphics.
Director: Len Lye
Votes: 1,207
Captivating direct film with a simplistic black-and-white animation style and haunting tribal music. 2022-02
20. The Great C (2018)
T | 30 min | Animation, Short, Sci-Fi
Years after an apocalyptic event, a powerful AI-driven supercomputer called "The Great C" rules over the remnants of humanity. Each year, the nearby village is forced to send a young person... See full summary »
Director: Steve Miller | Stars: Steve Cumyn, Jonathan Koensgen, Michael Riley, Martin Roach
Votes: 18
Decent animated VR experience about a young couple travelling to a God-like computer in a postapocalyptic world. 2022-03
21. Superman: The Mad Scientist (1941)
G | 10 min | Animation, Short, Action
The Man of Steel fights a mad scientist who is destroying Metropolis with an energy cannon.
Directors: Dave Fleischer, Steve Muffati | Stars: Bud Collyer, Joan Alexander, Jackson Beck, Jack Mercer
Votes: 3,504
First animated adventure of Superman in which he battles an evil scientist. 2022-03
22. The Hobbit (1966)
12 min | Animation, Short, Fantasy
A homebody hobbit finds himself going on a quest to save a dwarven treasure from a dragon in this loose adaptation of the classic novel.
Director: Gene Deitch | Star: Herb Lass
Votes: 585
Mediocre animated fantasy short about an unlikely hero who was prophesized to kill a predatory dragon. 2022-04
23. Logorama (2009)
R | 16 min | Animation, Short, Action
Police chase an armed criminal in a version of Los Angeles comprised entirely of corporate logos.
Directors: François Alaux, Hervé de Crécy, Ludovic Houplain | Stars: Bob Stephenson, Sherman Augustus, Aja Evans, Joel Michaely
Votes: 6,276
Two cops chase down a criminal while their world made of corporate logos collapses. 2022-05
24. Munchausen (2013)
17 min | Short, Comedy, Drama
A vibrant Pixar-inspired montage (think the marriage sequence in Up) in which a mother, unable to confront the heartbreak of her son leaving for college, delays his departure by making him ... See full summary »
Director: Ari Aster | Stars: Bonnie Bedelia, Liam Aiken, Rachel Brosnahan, Richard Riehle
Votes: 2,199
Enchanting fantasy short about a mother coping with her son leaving for college in a toxic way. 2022-07
25. Werewolf by Night (2022 TV Movie)
TV-14 | 52 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Follows a lycanthrope superhero who fights evil using the abilities given to him by a curse brought on by his bloodline.
Director: Michael Giacchino | Stars: Gael García Bernal, Laura Donnelly, Harriet Sansom Harris, Kirk R. Thatcher
Votes: 70,371
Entertaining horror short about a group of assassins fighting over the inheritance of a wealthy patriarch. 2022-10
26. Terrifier (2011)
Not Rated | 20 min | Short, Horror
After witnessing a brutal murder on Halloween night, a young woman becomes the next target of a maniacal entity.
Director: Damien Leone | Stars: Marie Maser, Mike Giannelli, Michael Chmiel, Daniel Rodas
Votes: 2,490
Uneven but ruthless horror short about a young woman is tormented by a deadly clown. 2022-10
27. The Story of 'Hansel and Gretel' (1951 TV Short)
TV-G | 10 min | Short, Animation
A young brother and sister are kidnapped by a cannibalistic witch. Based on the brothers Grimm fairytale. Animated by Ray Harryhausen.
Director: Ray Harryhausen | Star: Hugh Douglas
Votes: 183
Well-made stop-motion animation fantasy adaption of the eponymous fairy tale. 2022-10
28. World of Tomorrow (2015)
G | 17 min | Animation, Short, Comedy
A little girl is taken on a mind-bending tour of her distant future.
Director: Don Hertzfeldt | Stars: Julia Pott, Winona Mae, Sara Cushman
Votes: 10,323
Simplistic but efficient science fiction animation about a little girl travelling through time. 2022-11
29. The Flying Luna Clipper (1987)
55 min | Animation
A trip on a chartered plane with a number of other thrill-seekers (most of whom are anthropomorphic fruits and vegetables) and hop from island to island, each of which offer their own unique visual delights.
Director: Ikko Ono
Votes: 174
Early CGI animation short about a group of expert dreamers who fly over the Pacific Ocean. 2022-11
30. Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas (2021 TV Movie)
TV-Y | 30 min | Animation, Comedy, Family
Shaun's seasonal excitement turns to dismay when a farmhouse raid to get bigger stockings for the Flock inadvertently leads to Timmy going missing. Can Shaun get Timmy back before he becomes someone else's present?
Director: Steve Cox | Stars: Justin Fletcher, John Sparkes, Laura Aikman, Marcus Brigstocke
Votes: 2,867
Stop-motion animation comedy about a group of anthropomorphic sheep with high production values. 2022-12
31. The Lorax (1972 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 25 min | Animation, Drama, Family
A ruined industrialist tells his tale of his environmentally self-destructive greed despite the warnings of an old forest creature.
Director: Hawley Pratt | Stars: Eddie Albert, Bob Holt, Athena Lorde, Harlen Carraher
Votes: 3,384
Decent and entertaining animated dramedy about the dying of the trees due to capitalist greed. 2023-01
32. Laura Hasn't Slept (2020)
11 min | Short, Horror, Thriller
Desperate to rid herself of a recurring nightmare, a young woman seeks the help of her therapist.
Director: Parker Finn | Stars: Caitlin Stasey, Lew Temple
Votes: 1,091
Well-produced horror short about a young woman who is stalked by a grinning monster. 2023-01
33. Heck (2020)
28 min | Short, Horror
A little kid wakes up in the middle of night to the sound of his mom's television blaring.
Director: Kyle Edward Ball | Stars: Courtney McNeilly, Jeffty Ellison
Votes: 429
Atmospheric horror short about a little boy roaming the house at night, searching for his mother 2023-02*
34. Industrial Symphony No. 1: The Dream of the Brokenhearted (1992 TV Movie)
50 min | Drama, Fantasy, Music
The performer of Twin Peaks theme Julee Cruise's experimental concert film, which opens with a short intro where a man breaks up with his girl over the phone, which devastates her. The concert is set in her nightmarish subconscious mind.
Director: David Lynch | Stars: Laura Dern, Nicolas Cage, Julee Cruise, Lisa Giobbi
Votes: 1,923
Experimental concert about the death of a heartbroken angel with dreamlike imagery. 2023-03
35.
The Backrooms (2022– )
Episode:
Backrooms
(2022)
TV-14 | 9 min | Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi
A cameraman helping to shoot an indie film suddenly finds himself wandering a liminal space.
Director: Kane Parsons | Stars: Aakash, Henry, Kane Parsons
Votes: 1,003
Fascinating horror short about a cameraman who gets trapped in a liminal space. 2023-03
36. Horton Hears a Who! (1970 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 26 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Horton The Elephant struggles to protect a microscopic community from his neighbours who refuse to believe it exists.
Directors: Chuck Jones, Ben Washam | Stars: Hans Conried, June Foray, Chuck Jones, Thurl Ravenscroft
Votes: 2,090
Well-made animated adventure about an elephant rescuing a spec of dust that carries an entire city. 2023-06
37. Curfew (I) (2012)
19 min | Short, Drama
Having reached the lowest point in his life, a self-destructive man on the brink of demise receives an unexpected call from his estranged sister to look after her young daughter for the night. Could this be the beginning of a new reality?
Director: Shawn Christensen | Stars: Shawn Christensen, Fatima Ptacek, Kim Allen, Dana Segal
Votes: 7,048
Touching and well-made drama about a self-destructive man taking care for his niece for one day. 2023-06
38. Ferdinand the Bull (1938)
Approved | 8 min | Animation, Short, Comedy
Ferdinand is a quiet, gentle bull who only wants to stop and smell the flowers. After he is stung by a bee, the townspeople believe he is ferocious and take him to the bullfight.
Director: Dick Rickard | Stars: Don Wilson, Walt Disney, Milt Kahl
Votes: 3,627
Entertaining cartoon about a bull with unconventional interests living in Spain. 2023-10
39. Wavelength (1967)
Not Rated | 43 min | Short, Drama
Claimed by some to be one of the most unconventional and experimental films ever made, Wavelength is a structural film of a 45-minute long zoom in on a window over a period of a week. Very unconventional and experimental, indeed.
Director: Michael Snow | Stars: Hollis Frampton, Lyne Grossman, Naoto Nakazawa, Roswell Rudd
Votes: 3,017
Experimental and lengthy film that features a long zoom in a small city apartment. 2023-10
40. Frankenweenie (1984)
PG | 29 min | Short, Comedy, Horror
A young boy sets out to revive his dead pet using the monstrous power of science.
Director: Tim Burton | Stars: Shelley Duvall, Daniel Stern, Barret Oliver, Joseph Maher
Votes: 13,343
Charming little retelling of the original Frankenstein with just the right amount of witty humor. 2023-10
41. La cabina (1972 TV Movie)
35 min | Drama, Horror
A man gets trapped inside a telephone box and nobody is able to free him.
Director: Antonio Mercero | Stars: José Luis López Vázquez, Agustín González, Goyo Lebrero, Tito García
Votes: 4,571
Well-made and thrilling horror short about a man being trapped in a new telephone box. 2023-10
42. Robin Robin (2021)
G | 32 min | Animation, Short, Adventure
In this stop-motion short film, a bird raised by mice begins to question where she belongs and sets off on a daring journey of self-discovery.
Directors: Daniel Ojari, Michael Please | Stars: Bronte Carmichael, Richard E. Grant, Gillian Anderson, Adeel Akhtar
Votes: 6,916
Fascinating stop-motion animated short about a bird raised by mice. 2023-11*
43. The Three Robbers (1972)
6 min | Animation, Short
There are three robbers, each with their own unique weapon. One, a blunder bust, one, a pepper blower, and the third one, a big, red axe. They steal treasure, and one day, they start ... See full summary »
Director: Gene Deitch | Star: Gene Deitch
Votes: 40
Simplistic animated short with a unique style about a group of robbers with a heart of gold. 2024-02
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