One of last night's SNL skits featured Pete Davidson, Chris Redd and Simon Rex looking for "a really short movie" and praising “three-minute shorts before every Pixar movie.” With The Batman providing about three minutes of entertainment over three hours and Oscar winner Drive My Car driving past three hours, it's no surprise we're long tired of the epic movie run times.
Even with Belfast clocking in marvelously at just an hour and a half, this year's Oscar Best Picture nominees have a running time average of 139 minutes, which is 14 minutes higher than the category’s all-time average.
Rest easy, here are some of the best shorts of the year.
The Long Goodbye
An immigrant family in Britain is having a typical day in their house until a far right-wing march spirals out of control. Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal) produced and stars. He won his first Academy Award (with Aneil Karia) for Best Live Action Short at this year's Oscars. The short film is based on his concept album of the same name. It's shocking, frighteningly real and then, finally, poetic.
Running time: 12 minutes
Where to find it: On regular YouTube, Hulu
After you watch that one, I'd suggest the joyful, stop-motion Robin Robin. A bird raise by mice is quite a terrible thief and sets off on a journey of self discovery. Gillian Anderson (Crown, The Fall) and Richard E. Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me, LA Story) raise the shorts VO bar with delightful contributions to "Cat" and "Magpie." For simple entertainment, Robin Robin is the word.
Running time: 32 minutes
Where to find it: Netflix
The Windshield Wiper
This year's winner for best animated short is for adults only. A man with cigarettes asks "What is Love?"and a collection of vignettes attempts to answer his question. The animation is often remarkable and The Windshield Wiper is the recipient of this year's Academy Award for Best Animated Short. Its song ironically reinforces the need for smoky cafes,millennial debates and, perhaps, living in the now.
Running time: 14 minutes
Where to find it: On regular YouTube
The Queen of Basketball
Lusia "Lucy" Harris Stewart, the first and only woman to be drafted into the NBA, is a pioneer in women's basketball and the GOAT of women's game who also scored the first basket in women's Olymic history in 1976. The documentray, which shows her leading a rural Mississippi college to three national titles, could have probably filled three hours if Peter Jackson directed; thankfully he did not. The Queen of Basketball won Best Animated SHort at this year's Oscars.
Running time: 22 minutes
Where to find it: Streaming on Roku
The Ten Buck Review: All are ten-buck worthy.
