The 2025 Oscar Nominated Short Films -- Live Action

By Camden Ferrell

This year's Academy Award nominees for Best Live Action Short Film covers all walks of life like a family trying to obtain a green card, an intelligent young factory worker in India, a ranger protecting African rhinos, a train being stopped in search of Muslims, and a woman suffering an identity crisis in a tech-heavy world. Catching up on each year's slate of nominees is always an interesting task as these categories are unpredictable and expose you to films both good and bad that one might not have otherwise seen. Below, we at disappointment media will break down the highs and lows and try and offer some insight into who will be going home victorious on Oscar night.

5. Anuja

A well-intentioned short film following Anuja, a factory worker (who is played by an actual girl from a children's home for Indian street children and working children), this movie is adequately made and conventional to a fault. Anuja is a brilliant young girl who finds herself torn between a society that forces her to work and aspirations to put her intelligence to good use. It highlights a troubling reality that exists for many kids in India, but it ultimately feels inconsequential. It doesn't adequately explore her story in any meaningful way to the point that it almost feels like a proof of concept for a feature that would inevitably do the story more justice. There are some good performances from these child actors, but it doesn't feel like it has the substance to be anything more than passable.

4. The Last Ranger

This is yet another competently made movie that feels like it's a piece of something much bigger and more compelling. Litha is a young child who gets a chance to experience Africa's natural beauty alongside a ranger. However, as we are all too aware, poachers arrive in an attempt to brutally steal a rhino's horn. What ensues is danger and an all too common reality for the men and women who protect some of Earth's most scarce and majestic creatures. Cindy Lee directs a mostly decent film, but at nearly half an hour, it doesn't feel like it fully earns that runtime. It's also a short film that feels far more suited for the documentary format in order to capitalize off of the call to action it is so desperately aiming for. 

3. I'm Not a Robot

Definitely the lightest of the nominees in this category (although this one can still get quite dark), this is an intriguing film that gets points for its creativity if nothing else. Lara is a woman who consistently fails to pass a CAPTCHA online, leading her to suspect she might not be a human after all. What follows is a full-blown Black Mirror-esque identity crisis. It features a strong leading performance from Ellen Parren and decent musings on humanity from writer/director Victoria Warmerdam. However, there's some invisible factor here that's preventing it from elevating to anything more than a moderately intriguing thought experiment. Like I said, it gets points for creativity, but it just doesn't satisfy the same itch as the better nominees in this category.

2. The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent

This short film follows a train traveling in Europe that is stopped by paramilitary forces who are attempting to locate Muslims and take them off the train. As the title suggests, one man stands up to this timely act of oppression. What this film does so well is subvert expectations in a way that truly solidifies its core themes. In addition to that, there's an extremely nuanced and profound message about the the absolutely thin line between action and a desire to action. We must confront our own characters and see if we can delicately traverse the gray area between who we are and who we want to be when faced with adversity. However, despite these great elements, what's keeping it from my #1 spot is that even for its brief runtime of 14 minutes, I feel like it was losing some steam that unfortunately softened the impact of its final moments.

1. A Lien

This was easily the hardest of the short films to watch. While these categories often skew towards timely themes, this one is especially brutal to watch given the current climate and new administration in the United States. This film follows a family as they show up for their interview to start the green card process when unforeseen complications arise. Writer and directors David and Sam Cutler-Kreutz create an utterly chaotic and stress-inducing environment without feeling like they have relinquished any control as directors. Its erratic camera work, execution, and great performances make this a memorable and distressing experience that shines a light on a pervasive and predatory issue plaguing this nation that was founded by immigrants not too long ago.

Will Win: The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent
Can Win: Anuja
Should Win: A Lien

The 20th annual Oscar® Nominated Short Films theatrical release, presented by SHORTS, is coming to cinemas starting February 14, 2025.​