Review: The 2022 Oscar Nominated Short Films

By: Christopher James

Yes, we agree that this should be known as the 2021 Oscars (film year). However, Shorts TV has a different stance on their naming convention.Anyone who has filled out an Oscar office pool knows that the shorts can make or break your chances at winning. Often, the short films nominated are little seen, unless they play before a Pixar film. Thanks to Shorts TV, the nominees for Documentary (Short Subject), Animated Short Film and Live Action Short Film play in theaters and are available for rental ahead of the Oscars. Watching the short film can not only help you win your Oscar pool, but it can also introduce you to new and exciting filmmakers.

This year’s nominees break some conventions, while also keeping to some of the tropes one expects. The live action short films, once again, are aggressively depressing. Meanwhile, the animated short films are decidedly not kid friendly (adhere to the warning label, most of the shorts are firmly R-rated). Still, the fifteen nominated films were on the whole enjoyable.

So what were the best shorts of the bunch? Which will win the Oscar? Read to find out...

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20 Days 'til Oscar: The Live Action Shorts

Amir here. Yesterday we had a look at the animated short films nominated for an Oscar this year. Today we’re moving on to the live action shorts. In a nice bit of symmetry with the animation category, this one also features two great films and three not-so-great ones. Collectively, however, these nominees are a much stronger bunch than last year’s.

First up is Death of a Shadow, a Belgian-French co-production starring Franco-cinema’s it-boy Matthias Schoenaarts. It’s a fantasy film about a soldier whose job it is to capture the moment of death on a camera that registers shadows. The images are stored in a collection by the (very creepy) patron of his photography. Eventually, his love for a woman called Sarah pushes him to make her lover the final victim of his photography. It sounds concept-y, and quite frankly, it is. The visual effects leave a bit to be desired, but the much bigger problem is the complete lack of emotional resonance. The biggest achievement of Death of a Shadow is the impossible feat of making Schoenaarts look unattractive.

Four more shorts after the jump including the probable Oscar winner

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