If the Academy judged features by the same standards that they do live action shorts, the best picture ballot would be full of starry, quasi-political issue movies: well-meaning but manipulative films like 'Father Stu' and 'The Janes.' In this category, it's the message that matters to Oscar voters, which makes this year's '2024 Oscar Nominated Short Films: Live Action' program (available in theaters and on demand from ShortsTV) one of the most frustrating lineups in recent memory. The program opens with a Netflix short, 'The After,' which portrays a businessman played by David Oyelowo dealing with grief in a contrived manner, lacking authenticity in its emotional delivery.
Another short film, 'Red, White & Blue,' directed by Nazrin Choudhury, offers a poignant response to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, focusing on a single mother's struggle to afford an abortion for her third child. While the film's twist may feel manipulative, its emphasis on female solidarity is a powerful theme.
