The Oscars: The Short Film Nominees, Ranked According To Letterboxd

The Academy Awards have announced the nominations for 2022. With over 20 categories, the competition this year is ripe with some of the best filmmaking has to offer. Two of the most inventive categories are the ones about short films. Split into animation and live-action, this category often showcases some of the most inventive filmmakers from all over the world.

Strangely this is one of the few times that Disney or Pixar was not nominated for this category. Letterboxd is often used as a measure to see what the general film public enjoys and, while it won’t offer much insight into the voter’s minds, it does help to determine which is the favorite to win this year’s most coveted award.

10 Live-Action: On My Mind – N/A

The latest short film from writer/director Martin Strange-Hansen, On My Mind, hails from Denmark. The story follows Henrik who just wants to sing a song for his wife, and it has to be now. The synopsis for the film describes the film as a question of “life, death, and Karaoke.”

There is currently no consensus on Letterboxd about the film since there are only a handful of reviews. The reviews that are on the site are very positive, however. The film is described as shockingly poignant and beautiful by those who’ve seen it.

9 Animated: Affairs Of The Art – 3.2

Ever since 1987, British animator Joanna Quinn has been impressing audiences with her character Beryl. Now she once again does it with Affairs of the Art. This time the comic everywoman Beryl is here to showcase one family’s eccentric obsessions with everything from drawing to pet taxidermy.

Opinions on this film are fairly split. The art and character designs have turned some viewers away but others have relished in the eccentricities of Beryl and her family. The stylish animation has been considered a highlight to those who enjoyed the film as well.

8 Animated: Boxballet – 3.2

From Anton Dyakov, Boxballet is a Russian animated short film about a ballet dance and a boxer meeting and falling in love. Olya, the ballerina, and Evgeny, the boxer live in two very different worlds. The short explores the contrast between the worlds and shows how unlikely this meeting should have been.

While this is a nice film to watch with beautiful animation, the plot runs a little thin. Letterboxd users were left a little disappointed that the film wasn’t much deeper than the description implies. If it wins, it could end up as one of the best ballet movies ever made.

7 Live-Action: The Dress – 3.3

Coming out of the Polish Film Institute, The Dress was directed by Tadeusz Lysiak. The short film follows a maid in a motel in Poland who just wants to be normal. As new people come to the motel, she tries to find belonging by being sexy for these men.

According to Letterboxd users, the ending to this film is bleak. While the film is beautifully shot and is attempting to say something about belonging, the ending had soured some people’s taste for the film. This is still one of Letterboxd’s favorite international films.

6 Animated: The Windshield Wiper – 3.6

Alberto Mielgo has made a name for himself in animation, and recently directed an episode of Love, Death, and Robots for Netflix. But now he’s directed the Oscar-nominated short film The Windshield Wiper. The short film follows a man in a cafe as he poses the question “what is love?” The rest of the short is a collection of vignettes that help him figure out the answer.

Lots of Letterboxd reviews point to the film tackling too much for a short film, but the animation is stunning. While the subject matter is heavy for such a short format, Alberto Mielgo mostly pulls it off in a satisfying manner.

5 Live-Action: Ala Kachuu – Take And Run – 3.6

Ala Kachuu – Take and Run is a foreign language short film by Maria Brendle. The film follows a young girl who wants to leave home and study in her countries capital city. When she gets there she is kidnapped and forced to marry her kidnapper. What follows is a story about the desire for freedom when you’re constrained by tradition.

This short film has been praised for its acting and the cinematography on display. Letterboxd users have noted this is the type of film that the Academy Awards love to nominate. While it’s a hard watch at times, and a sad one, it’s an important one.

4 Animated: Bestia – 3.7

Known as Beast in America and Bestia in its home country of Chile, is an animated short film by Hugo Covarrubias. The animated short follows Ingrid, a woman working in the Chilean Intelligence Directorate (DINA) in 1975. The film is an introspective work on Ingrid as it reveals fractures within her and her entire country.

Most Letterboxd users found the short terrifying, as it opened up people’s minds to a real-life horror that happened in Chile in the ’70s. This is one of those cases where the animation of the piece unsettles the viewer in an intentional way. Bestia is considered one of the best stop-motion animated shorts of the year.

3 Live-Action: Please Hold – 3.7

KD Davila’s directorial debut is a short film called Please Hold. The short film follows a young man as his life is derailed when he is accused of a crime. Since the justice system is completely automated in this piece, he’s unaware of why this is happening to him.

The film is very clearly a satire of the justice system, which many users on Letterboxd gravitated towards. Most found this to be very enjoyable and thought it came together really well. It’s a solid first outing for KD Davila.

2 Animated: Robin Robin – 3.7

Probably the only short film not independently produced, Robin Robin comes from the animation studio Aardman and Netflix. The clever short follows a bird who was raised by mice and seeks to find belonging within her two worlds. The short showcases all the clever dialogue and humor that Aardman has been known for.

Aardman has been a fan favorite for decades now and this short film was no different. Letterboxd reviews are filled with people commenting on how charming, funny and sweet the film is. The stop motion animation is once again top-notch.

1 Live-Action: The Long Goodbye – 3.8

Riz Ahmed wrote and starred in The Long Goodbye, a short film directed by Aneil Karia who also co-wrote the film. The film deals with racism and Islamophobia in the UK. Riz and his family are in trouble when a far-right rally march ends up at their door and leads to some disastrous happenings.

The Long Goodbye blew some people away. The subject matter was heavy and deftly handled with care. One highlight that keeps being talked about is Riz Ahmed’s performance. While he hasn’t won an Oscar yet, many believe this will clinch it for him.

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