The race for Best Animated Short Film at the 2025 Academy Awards is shaping up to be an exciting one, showcasing a diverse mix of storytelling, artistry and emotional depth. From dark humor to touching reflections on life and identity, this year’s nominees highlight the power of animation to tackle complex themes in unique and visually stunning ways. Here’s a closer look at the five standout animated short films that have earned their place in the Oscar spotlight.
To preface, this review contains zero spoilers.
“In the Shadow of the Cypress” by Hossein Molayemi and Shirin Sohani follows the story of a young woman living in a small home on the beach with her father. Her role throughout the film is primarily as his caretaker and less of a daughter. Her father is an ex-captain who suffers from PTSD and must be watched at all times. The film took me on an emotional roller coaster as I watched the character development. “In the Shadow of the Cypress” stood out to me more than the other four films due to its angsty storyline. It has the ability to make you feel connected with the characters and even grieve with them. As for the animation and audio, the beautiful music and block-style animation gave the film a different look that set it apart from the rest.
“Magic Candies” by Daisuke Nishio stars a little boy, Dong Dong, who goes into a shop, and the shopkeeper gives him five candies. Each of the candies allows him to talk to different things like a couch or dog. He learns to come out of his shell and discover a little about himself and life. Overall, this is an adorable and family-friendly film. The animation was beautifully done, and the scene that highlighted the beauty for me was when Dong Dong took a walk in a beautiful park as the bright orange autumn leaves came floating down on him. This film is sure to put a smile on your face.
“Beautiful Men” by Nicolas Keppens shows the lives of three balding brothers eager to get hair transplant surgery. This was quite a strange storyline, but it had depth due to both comedic and saddening elements.
“Wander to Wonder” by Nina Gantz, I would say had an even stranger story line.
This film was a bit unsettling to watch, due to it dealing with creepy Teletubby-like characters and death. It is about a group of munchkin people who starred in a TV show and are left alone after their host has passed away. I do believe it had a deeper meaning than it seemed, which was overlooked.
“Yuck!” by Loic Espuche is the perfect film to watch on Valentine’s Day. The film is centered on a young boy named Leo, who lives in a world where those who want to kiss someone have glowing pink lips. At summer camp, he pokes fun at kissers alongside his friends. But his lips have started to glow as well. This film was self-explanatory, unlike the others that needed more context to fully understand. Overall, it was sweet and simple.
Animation takes a lot of skill and time, so I applaud each and every person who went into making these animated films. My key tip before viewing the films is to look into what the underlying message is; this will help you better appreciate and understand each film.
