A Review of the 2025 Oscar-Nominated Animated Short Films

      In anticipation of the Academy Awards, we've evaluated every short film in the categories of Animation, Documentary, and Live Action. Below are the nominees for Best Animated Short:

      **Beautiful Men | Belgium/France/Netherlands | 18 minutes**

      Three brothers, one appointment, and a lot of fog introduce us to Nicolas Keppens’ Beautiful Men, a comedic short film set in a hotel in Istanbul, chosen for its closeness to a renowned hair transplant clinic that is fully booked. Steven (Tom Dewispelaere) has made a grave mistake that may cost them all significantly, as there’s no chance to secure two additional slots during their brief visit. Now, it is Steven's responsibility to inform the others of his blunder. How will they determine who gets the chance to change their life?

      While this question is ultimately posed, the fact that this trio—Peter De Graef’s Koen and Peter Van den Begin’s Bart alongside Steven—has traveled such a distance for this treatment suggests that their dilemma goes beyond just hair. While baldness can trigger anxiety and insecurity, these superficial “problems” often stem from deeper issues: fears of intimacy, isolation, and mortality. Every time Steven tries to get the others alone to reveal the unfortunate news, distractions arise, causing frustration or consuming them. Each is a version of a raw nerve.

      Thus, the clear punchline is not that the winner will radically improve his life at the expense of the others; rather, it’s that gaining new hair won’t truly change anything. They will remain insecure, envious, and greedy. They will eventually find something else to obsess over or misinterpret. These are flawed individuals longing for a fresh start when it seems easier than addressing their present circumstances. The film's stunning and fluid stop-motion animation, combined with intricately designed sets, amplifies their emotional struggles, ensuring that moments of intensity resonate with the genuine mix of desire and resignation they deserve.

      **In the Shadow of Cypress | Iran | 20 minutes**

      The emotional turmoil and incidents of flashbacks have become too overwhelming for the daughter of a retired sea captain who suffers from wartime PTSD. While she manages the chaos and self-harm with medication, his detachment from reality begins to disrupt their interactions. One day, after preparing breakfast and gathering her belongings, she pauses at the door, hoping for some words that might persuade her to stay as he stirs awake. His silence seals her departure.

      This serves as the prologue to Hossein Molayemi and Shirin Sohani’s In the Shadow of the Cypress. The young woman doesn’t get far from their seaside hut before she screams, prompting her father to spring into action. Together, they discover a whale stranded on the shore. They silently agree to cooperate in rescuing the creature, attempting to keep it wet while dragging it back into the water with a motorboat. The frustration of their attempts leads to another outburst of rage from the captain, who retreats into the shadows of his ship and the awful memories he clings to with guilt.

      The film’s tension escalates as the animators provide rapid glimpses into his inescapable past, showing us the source of his anguish and the shame that impacts his relationship with his daughter. The textured color cel animation reduces to lines to reflect the fractures in his mind—contrasted against the beautifully surreal representations of emotional turmoil outside it through melting and shattering visuals. Rather than focusing on reconciliation or forgiveness between the two, the veteran’s desperate effort to save the whale evolves into acceptance and sacrifice, as moving forward means finally releasing everything he holds onto.

      **Magic Candies | Japan | 21 minutes**

      Dong-Dong (Haruto Shima) is often left out, playing alone on the periphery of the playground with marbles. Is this due to the other kids not wanting to be his friends, or simply because they’re unaware of his desire to join? These are questions a young child like Dong-Dong might avoid; it may be easier to keep busy than to contemplate such matters. Sharing is unnecessary, and there’s no concern about potential letdowns. He remains oblivious to what he’s missing.

      Daisuke Nishio and Ichiro Takano’s adaptation of Heena Baek’s Magic Candies presents a fantastical approach to confront the unknown. Dong-Dong is not a bad kid, nor is this akin to a Christmas Carol-style redemption story. Rather, it’s a means for him to grow—realizing it’s easy to take the world around him for granted, and even himself. With a bag of marble-like candies that grant him a sixth sense to communicate with the impossible, he escapes his own mind.

      At first, he talks to the couch and then the dog, learning from them how life affects their existence and that their actions, like stealing the remote or wanting to nap, aren't personal. Now that he comprehends this, he can better support them in return.