Top 60 Shorts of the 2020s (so far): Part 4
- Brandon MacMurray
- May 22
- 5 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!
Nalujuk Night (dir. Jennie Williams, 2021)
Nalujuk Night is a documentary short telling the story of a long-standing Inuit tradition that happens every January 6th. Aside from the engaging story, the film-making by Inuk filmmaker Jennie Williams is even more impressive. Filmed in black and white whilst in the dead of night, it’s easy to wonder how Jennie accomplished this feat with the lack of lighting and the outdoor action shots throughout. However, it works perfectly and the whole vibe just adds to the eeriness of the events shown.
What letterboxd users are saying:
Watch on NFB: https://www.nfb.ca/film/nalujuk-night/
-BM
Navozande, the Musician (dir. Reza Riahi, 2020)
Taking place at the time of the attack of the Mongols in 13th century Persia, Navozande, the Musician offers a tragic story of lovers split apart and reunited years later. With an excellent score and some of the best paper-cut animation you will ever see, this short is heart-wrenching to the core.
What letterboxd users are saying:
Watch on Paramount+
-BM
Nest (dir. Hlynur Pálmason, 2022)
In 2022, the same year of his Un Certain Regard breakout with Godland (Vanskabte land), Hylnur Pálmason directed Nest (Hreiður), a lovely short film about two siblings building a tree house. Using the gorgeous landscapes of Iceland, Pálmason explores his naturalist vision in a heartfelt portrayal of the connection between siblings and their joint love over an ordinary activity. Nest impresses because of its simplicity, which makes it capable of capturing the beauty of fraternal love.
What letterboxd users are saying:
Watch on Kanopy (US)
-PL
Ninety-Five Senses (dir. Jerusha Hess and Jared Hess, 2022)
Jared Hess became an indie darling in 2004 with his cult classic, Napoleon Dynamite. Almost twenty years later, Jared aimed for a complete tonal shift from his known comedic work. He and Jerusha, his wife, directed the delicate, yet powerful Ninety-Five Senses. Voiced by Tim Blake Nelson, the film follows a man who, on death row, reflects on his past mistakes. The chilling voice work by Blake Nelson accompanies multiple animation styles, changing as the story progresses. It merges the visual creativity through various forms of animation to emotionally engage with the tragic story of a regretful man.
What letterboxd users are saying:
Read our full review here: https://www.shortstickfilms.com/post/ninety-five-senses-review
-PL
Nǎi Nai and Wài Pó (dir. Sean Wang, 2023)
Director, producer, editor Sean Wang brings us into the lives of Chang Li Hua (83) and Yi Yan Fuei (94), his maternal and paternal grandmothers. Their paths crossing through their children was the start of a lifelong friendship, in which they now share a home, a bed and a whole life together.
The film is heartwarming from start to finish, effortlessly challenging what we traditionally think of in terms of relationships within a family, it is impossible not to laugh alongside the two charismatic ladies. Alongside the goofy banter this documentary serves as a reminder to cherish our elders, to spend the time with them while we have the chance and to make the best out of your time on this planet.
What letterboxd users are saying:
Watch on Disney +
-RH
Once Upon a Time in Ukraine (dir. Betsy West, 2024)
Many films and particularly documentaries covering the war in Ukraine have been shown at festivals around the world, and sadly as the war still rages on we will likely see more to come. With that backdrop director Betsy West takes a microscopic lens to a few families living in the area and what their new normal is like, specifically how the children in these families have adapted to the war torn country they call home.
The innocence and imagination of these amazingly strong children's lives on, in spite of the chaos surrounding them. The documentary does not show much in terms of actual warfare, but it does not need to - everyone watching already knows the atrocities committed by Russian soldiers in Eastern Europe. But for some of these kids, and especially the younger ones, it has been the reality for a majority of their lives. It is nothing short of incredible to see the hopeful perseverance captured in such intricate detail and the film serves as a very important reminder of the fight still very much ongoing in Ukraine.
What letterboxd users are saying:
-RH
Opera (dir. Erick Oh, 2020)
Erick Oh has been one of the best directors in animated shorts this decade. Not only did Opera get nominated for an Academy Award, he also made the Oscars shortlist for Namoo which is equally impressive. We chose Opera as our Erick Oh pick on the list due to its intricate detail. Opera feels like a brand new short every time you watch as it is so easy to notice different details throughout the intricacies. The animation feels like a small but powerful force physically carrying the short from beginning to end. It’s hard not to watch this short and immediately think “let’s play that one again”.
What letterboxd users are saying:
Purchase on Amazon:
-BM
An Ostrich Told Me the World is Fake and I Think I Believe it (dir. Lachlan Pendragon, 2022)
Metacinema at its finest, An Ostrich Told Me the World is Fake and I Think I Believe it is as wild as its name suggests. With brilliant stop-motion it tells the story of a man named Neil who is a sales agent for toasters…. Or is he? This short cleverly breaks all expectations as Neil learns who is he and interacts with the filmmaker himself. Everything is wrapped up with a perfect bow at the end as we see the complete fruition of everything we have learned as an audience. Completely brilliant film making.
What letterboxd users are saying:
-BM
Oyu (dir. Atsushi Hirai, 2023)
Satoshi arrives in Toyama on New Year’s Eve to pick up something that was left at the public baths and uses the night as an invitation for self-reflection. Every shot in the Oyu is a steamy fantasy, making the baths feel hazy and shrouded, like a dream or a memory from a distant past. The film is almost like a sort of big-screen ASMR, as voices chatter, water drips and splashes, and wet footsteps paddle from side to side. Satoshi begins the bathing ritual as if he is trying to wash something away, but what is he trying to forget?
What letterboxd users are saying:
Read our full review here: https://www.shortstickfilms.com/post/ten-favourites-from-regard-festival
-JH
Perfectly a Strangeness (dir. Alison McAlpine, 2024)
Perfectly a Strangeness does not fit into a box when it comes to genre. Call it a documentary, call it narrative, call it a docufiction, call it experimental, whichever, it is doesn’t matter, it is an absolutely gorgeous film. Seeing it on the big screen at TIFF last year was truly breathtaking as it follows three donkeys exploring an abandoned astronomical observatory. Perfectly a Strangeness has played some of the world’s biggest festival at TIFF, Cannes, Hamptons and Santa Barbara. It also won the Silver Hugo at Chicago Film Festival, Best Short at Full Frame and is nominated for Best Short Documentary at this years Canadian Screen Awards.
What letterboxd users are saying:
-BM
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