Top 60 Shorts of the 2020s (so far): Part 3
- Brandon MacMurray
- May 21
- 6 min read
Hey everyone! ShortStick just turned 2 years old this month. Seeing as we are halfway through the decade, to celebrate, we are releasing our list of Top 60 shorts of the 2020s (so far). Between the four of us we have watched thousands of shorts released this decade and after much deliberation lowered it down to 60 we thought were the best. This list is far from definitive but based off a number of factors including awards success, festival success and our own taste and opinions. It contains animated, documentary, live action and experimental films. We decided to release alphabetically because depending which of the four of us you ask any of these could be ranked In the top 10. Scroll down to see what made the list!
I Want to go Higher (dir. Amanda van Hesteren, 2023)
Dutch director Amanda van Hesteren presents an observational film about her brother and his friends. It may not document an urgent societal theme, yet it is an accurate vision of modern masculinity. Her brother and his friends are in Thailand to work as models and enjoy life. Her camera becomes another member of his gang and captures a glimpse of young men in the 2020s society and how the patterns for men are shifting. It provides a cut of years of the life of those guys, and it is a fascinating observation of young life in the digital era. I Want to Go Higher is an ambient film about the moment and is mesmerizing as it achieves the goal of documenting a time fragment.
What letterboxd users are saying:
-PL
Jellyfish and Lobster (dir. Yasmin Afifi, 2023)
Heartwarming in the most melancholic of ways, writer-director Yasmin Afifi presents a stark look into elderly care and handling the autumn of life and the emotions that comes with it. The resident Grace (played by Flo Wilson) is rebellious in the pettiest of ways, naughty in the mildest of manners, and generally upset about the situation she finds herself in. One day she runs into another resident by the name of Mido (played by Sayed Badreya) and the pair have instant chemistry, suddenly the days do not seem quite as bleak anymore. A dark comedy, quintessentially British in its dialogue, yet universal in its messaging.
> Do you wash your legs, or let the water drip down your ankles?
What letterboxd users are saying:
-RH
Le Pupille (Alice Rohrwacher, 2022)
Over the past three years Alfonso Cuarón has put his stamp on short film by producing three different Christmas shorts for Disney+. Le Pupille is by far the epitome of this trio. Alice Rohrwacher (La Chimera, Happy as Lazzaro) brings her unique sense of enchanting charm to this WW2 story taking place at an Italian Boarding School in the days leading up to Christmas. The set design and costume design are some of the best you will see in shorts with a centrepiece of a cake that will leave you wanting a second slice of this short that warms your heart with its song. Le Pupille was nominated for best live action short at the 95th Academy Awards.
What letterboxd users are saying:
Watch now on Disney+
-BM
Luki and the Lights (dir. Toby Cochran, 2024)
This short animated film is inspired by the true story of Sascha Groen and her husband Anjo Snijders who was diagnosed with ALS. In search of a way to explain the disease to their children, they conceptualized the narrative which became the basis of this short. Beautifully rendered by creator Toby Cochran, the story follows the anthropomorphic robot LUKi as they learn about the incurable disease and how to navigate life with it through the help of loved ones. Using the lights on LUKi’s body to depict the progression of ALS in a child friendly manner, the film is completely void of any dialogue and instead favors exaggerated facial and body language. This is truly a film made for kids, but make no mistake it will have an impact on people of all ages.
What letterboxd users are saying:
Watch here: https://globalneuroycare.org/full-movie/
-RH
The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent (dir. Nebojša Slijepčević, 2024)
Last year's Palme d'Or for best short film, The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent (Čovjek koji nije mogao šutjeti), is a vivid representation of the horrors of the Bosnian genocide. Nebojša Slijepčević builds a thriller narrating the true history of a man who stood up against injustice and violence. Furthermore, the director creates a mesmerizing film about brutality, courage, and legacy. The construction of the sets and camerawork utilizes the single ambient directing choice to generate suspense and fear for those characters. In this sense, Slijepčević crafts an impactful film on morals, actions, and genocide.
What letterboxd users are saying:
Read our full review here: https://www.shortstickfilms.com/post/tiff-short-cuts-highlights-programs-3-and-4
-PL
The Masterpiece (dir. Àlex Lora Cercos, 2023)
The Masterpiece is quite honestly, well, a masterpiece when it comes to using tension and pacing. It’s a short that leaves you guessing intentions of the players involved as it pits higher class vs lower class against each other, leading to one final battle of wits. Àlex Lora Cercos takes a great screenplay (with hitting lines such as: “I can afford her being wrong. Can you afford it?”) and directs the acting and timing perfectly to build the tense sensation throughout. The Masterpiece made the Oscars shortlist for the 97th Academy Awards and has won a ton of awards along the way, too many to list here, but most notably the Grand Jory Prize at Sundance and a Goya Award.
What letterboxd users are saying:
Watch on Kanopy - https://www.kanopy.com/en/product/14726177
-BM
Meal Ticket (dir. Wes Andre Goodrich, 2024)
Director Wes Andre Goodrich has been one of the most interesting voices in short film over the past couple of years. His short Palm Sunday could have easily been included in this list as well but we went with Meal Ticket as it is just as good and also available to watch. In this fantastic followup, Goodrich proves once again his talent as a director and writer. Narratively, Meal Ticket has a simple premise. However, the energy injected into the construction of the central dilemma is fascinating. The artistic decision to use corridors and small rooms illustrates a feeling of claustrophobia as an ethical debate develops. The characters are constantly moving, and so are cinematographer Ben Hardwicke's cameras. It is a coordinated game between the editing, acting, and camera movements to make the situation's lack of control palpable.
What letterboxd users are saying:
Watch here: https://risingvoicesfilms.com/film/meal-ticket/
-BM
Mighty Penguins (dirs. Louis Myles and Ahmed Twaij, 2023)
The story follows Allan Cockram, a retired Brentford Football Club player who, after leaving the sport, has a difficult time finding purpose in life. While working as a cab driver, Allan befriends a boy named Phil who has Down syndrome. This sparked the idea of the Mighty Penguins; an all-Down syndrome football club.
Throughout the documentary we get introduced to the team, meeting players like Special K, Peanut and Big “D” in a very organic and genuine storytelling fashion. While coach Allan serves as the common denominator, it is clear that the players here are the stars of the show. In true sport film fashion they are all gearing up to the main event - being the “guard of honour” in a Brentford’s Premiere League match against Leicester.
This film has so much heart it is impossible not to get sucked in. We are privileged to peek inside the lives and hardships of the team members. We also see how rewarding the exchange is for Allan and for the Brentford community at large. Thoroughly humane and open in its narration, I would be hard pressed to name a film with more heart than Mighty Penguins.
What letterboxd users are saying:
-RH
Motherland (dir. Jasmin Mozaffari, 2023)
In 1979, anti-Iranian sentiment is growing throughout the United States. Babak (an incendiary Behtash Fazlal), an Iranian immigrant and university student has his personal crises compounded by the tensions that surround him as an Iranian in America, and his life is about to change forever. Writer-director Jasmin Mozaffari’s 35mm photography brings a textured aesthetic to the Motherland, a film where one specific life and the broadly political events surrounding it become more intertwined than ever. Motherland’s story is a personal one for the Canadian Mozaffari; the intimacy with which she handles the specifics of the story can’t be faked, and the cultural texture and familial details are packed into each vibrant frame.
What letterboxd users are saying:
Read our full review here: https://www.shortstickfilms.com/post/motherland-review
-JH
Mum's Spaghetti (dir. Lisa Kenney, 2023)
Cinema is a tool to spread ideas and messages to the world. The brilliant British director Lisa Kenney wishes for a kinder world in the heartfelt Mum's Spaghetti. The film is a homage to her late friends, Chris ‘Calma’ Herbert and Reece Begg. Kenney reflects on the power of kindness through a grimey stop-motion musical. Poppy wants to be the best rapper in the block, and she battles the other kids with her best friend, her dog Snoop. The charming clay-mation style combines perfectly with the grime-infused soundtrack by Hannah Barnett. Referencing most artists the director grew up listening to, such as Dizzee Rascal, Skepta, and Stormzy. Mum's Spaghetti is an ode to friendship through the music possibilities and how we can embrace each other. It is an irresistible gem.
What letterboxd users are saying:
Read our full review here: https://www.shortstickfilms.com/post/mum-s-spaghetti-review
-PL
Kommentare