Short Films Completed in 2023

I wanted him so badly to open the door again at the end, but I fully understand, why he didn't. That scene was my favourite, but also the hardest to watch. 

Overall a great short, that manages to raise valid, (unfortunately) always relevant points, stir up a lot of emotions and leave you contemplating, how you'd act in either of the mainleads' situation, while still not making you pick sides. 

I can empathize with both Jin Hyuk and Yoon Woo and I'm pleased, the movie kept it real towards the end.

I started watching and thought the one guy's eyes made him look so much like Kim Jung Hyun, I had to pause and check. And it's really him. I had no idea.

Sad, thoughtful, but ultimately hopeful. A lot is achieved in only 15 minutes. People react to and deal with loss differently. This was conveyed quite well.

The story in "Lying" is hardly groundbreaking, and this short is so stripped down and simple, it gives the impression of watching a stage play. From beginning to end the spotlight is fixated on the actors and their performance. How fitting then ( if the MDL bio on the actor playing Ji Hyun is correct), that it states, he's a theater actor. I was expecting to see at lot of previous/upcoming work of his listed here, and I'm disappointed to only find two, as I'd love to watch more of his acting.

The story revolves around Ji Hyun, so he's naturally given most of the screen time. There are entire scenes shot in his apartment with no music, little to no dialogue and not much going on, other than watching him processing and handling his growing feelings for his friend. Even his minimalist home decor helps direct all focus to his face and movements. Had his acting been subpar in the least, this short would fall apart, but he is solid, and I feel bad for the other ML, who tries, but is completely upstaged.

There's one scene in particular, that stood out, where Ji Hyun's feelings of frustration, confusion and sadness is coming to a head. Again with nothing else around him to distract the viewer's attention and no dialogue, the actor is left to convey Ji Hyun's inner turmoil entirely through facial expressions, eye acting and body language. And he nails it! The way he expresses the transition to crying in this scene is flawless. The micro expressions are so on point and natural, I'm almost convinced, he did actually cry.

I recommend this short, if you enjoy emotional acting and endings with a little bit of wiggle room.

A case of style over substance. Basically a standard coming of age story centered around two guys dealing with growing feelings/desires and the impact it has on their friendship. I really liked the colors, how certain scenes were set up, the stunning shots by the sea and the use of sound.

A couple of scenes from Lai Fan's room downright creeped me out, because of how his room felt and looked like an underwater cocoon. I'd recommend watching this with headphones on, because the use of sound really added to this creepiness. Or maybe it's just that the underwater theme triggered my fear of deepwater and being submerged.

Unfortunately style took over, leaving not much room for establishing an emotional connection to characters and their story. I appreciate the attempt at putting a spin on a familiar main theme, and I liked the ending, however predictable it was.