‘2024 Oscar Nominated Short Films: Live Action’ Review: Four Heart-Wrenching Tales Plus a Kooky Roald Dahl Adaptation

Award ceremonies are most fun when they’re about underdogs, and since the Oscars’ headliner awards didn’t quite satisfy that need this year, it might be beneficial to take a closer look at the lesser-known category built for indie underdogs: Best Live Action Short Film. For the past month, these five short films have been given a limelight they might not have gotten otherwise. Even if Wes Anderson did take home the award, check out these reviews to learn more about the latest work of some promising up-and-coming directors — as well as, of course, Anderson.

“The After”

Dir. Misan Harriman — 4 Stars

This short film grapples with trauma and grief by following a rideshare driver (David Oyelowo) months after he helplessly watched a terrible event happen to the people he loves. What makes Dayo’s story so heart-wrenching and compelling is the clever vehicle — literally and figuratively — that the film uses to convey his emotional suffering.

In each of Dayo’s passengers, the audience can pinpoint a connection to the shocking first scene. At any given moment, there is a realistic possibility that he might swerve into oncoming traffic — conceding to his overwhelming grief.

The film masterfully blends days into weeks into months in snappy montage sequences that play with the small but versatile space. With little dialogue spoken by Dayo, the audience — perpetual passengers in his car as well as his life — are forced to imagine the profound pain he is experiencing as families ceaselessly come and go.

“Red, White and Blue”

Dir. Nazrin Choudhury — 3.5 Stars

This short film follows a diner waitress who must find an abortion outside of Arkansas — where the procedure has been banned. Rachel (Brittany Snow) has three young children and struggles to make ends meet, so the stakes are very high on her long road trip to Springfield, Missouri — which is planned down to the dollar. Any small slip-up could derail everything.

Director Nazrin Choudhury constantly reminds the audience of this unease; even when Rachel’s daughter Maddy (Juliet Donenfeld) is riding a merry-go-round, the scene is undergirded by a sense of melancholy. Beautiful flashbacks of a younger Rachel and Maddy juxtapose the bright past with the dark present.

While the film does have its clunky moments, it also consistently pulls at the heart strings and ultimately delivers a twist bound to stay with you long after the credits roll.

“Knight of Fortune”

Dir. Lasse Lyskjær Noer — 4.5 Stars

This short film both seriously and comically depicts Karl Bergström (Leif Andrée), a gruff old man, as he visits his deceased wife for the final time. When he cannot handle opening the casket alone, he rushes to the bathroom and inadvertently meets Torben (Jens Jørn Spottag), who asks for toilet paper underneath the stall wall. When the first batch isn’t enough, Torben asks for more, and the cycle continues.

Torben proceeds to get Karl into countless wacky situations — including one in which they find themselves accidentally becoming part of a grieving family. Karl eventually gets fed up with Torben’s antics, though it is later revealed that he is actually much more than meets the eye.

“Knight of Fortune,” like any good comedy or drama, continuously subverts expectations. Karl and Torben are harboring immense grief, and it is only through their unlikely friendship that they can reconcile with that grief. While the story can be messy and uncomfortable, it is a human tale — and brilliantly conveys a spectrum of emotions.

“Invincible”

Dir. Vincent René-Lortie — 3.5 Stars

“Invincible” is a beautifully shot short film inspired by an ugly and complex true story about a teenage boy who committed suicide. About hopelessness and hard to navigate situations, “Invincible” begins as it ends — with Marc-Antoine Bernier (Léokim Beaumier-Lépine) driving a car off a cliff into a deep, dark lake. A sense of frustration pervades the rest of the story. No matter what happens to Marc, there can only be one outcome; therefore, the film becomes a disconcerting exploration of why Marc acted as he did.

It is almost impossible to pick a side in “Invincible.” One moment, you are rooting for Marc-Antoine’s escape from the youth center, and the next you are sure that it is the best place for him. The audience is likewise put in a constant state of highs and lows that make for an ominous viewing experience.

By the end of “Invincible,” you are left feeling somewhat hollower — like a piece of you and the human fabric has been unfairly stripped away.

“The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar”

Dir. Wes Anderson — 4 Stars

Has Wes Anderson finally gone too far? Brimming with symmetry, deadpan jokes, stop motion animation, and painstaking set design, this short film might represent Anderson reaching his final form.

However, “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” is also inextricably the product of Roald Dahl — and it is because of this adaptational leeway that Anderson can play around with diegetic narration, stories within stories within stories, and a number of other tropes that normally exist far outside the confines of film.

Every moment — from a character’s facial twitch to absurdly lengthy dialogue — is very deliberately planned. Just watching to see if the film can keep this rhythm up for a full 40 minutes is grounds enough to experience Anderson at his most Andersonian and a filmmaker at the top of his game.

—Staff writer Joseph A. Johnson can be reached at joseph.johnson@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @onlyjoejohnson or on Threads @officialjoeyj.