Animals

The intensity of this short film is so impressive, there is an instant connection to the central character, the actor plays this role with such gravity, but he never overplays it, the magic of this performance is in the subtleties. The twists and turns are not predictable, but utterly and sadly believable. The score is a perfect backdrop to the drama, never overstating what you are supposed to feel but subtly supporting it as a good score should do. The subject matter (without spoilers) addresses the subject of toxic masculinity in such a perfect way, showing us the cracks in the status quo. You cannot help but care about what is going to happen next; it's so powerful as the story unfolds.