Buzz
While many independent filmmakers and students with limited resources upload their short films online to gain visibility, occasionally, a Hollywood star with full access to major channels shares their own creations on the web. These films span genres like comedy, drama, action, and oddities. Go ahead and dive in!
10. Michael Cera in Gregory Go Boom
Gregory Go Boom might be a bit too hipster for some, but it’s arguably Michael Cera's finest performance. He portrays a hopeless, wheelchair-bound paraplegic searching for love through awkward blind dates. His dates are unaware of his condition until they meet, and after one of the dates goes well, her violent ex-boyfriend shows up, turning the story into a dark, despair-filled ride.
Written and directed by Janicza Bravo, the film earned the top prize for short films at Sundance. While the film was well-received by many, one audience member at the festival remarked, “I was just thinking you were a bad person” after the screening. Gregory Go Boom stands out for being uploaded to YouTube before hitting the festival circuit.
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9. Billy Bob Thornton in The Last Real Cowboys
The Last Real Cowboys begins like any classic western, with two rugged cowboys (Billy Bob Thornton and Mickey Jones) sitting by a campfire, eating beans, and exuding toughness. But soon, one of them reflects on how life has gotten worse since he stopped skipping. The conversation takes a surreal turn, leading Mickey Jones’s character to propose that they try skipping again, just like kids would.
Filmed in Nevada in 2000 for Big Picture Studios by director Jeff Lester, this short film mixes humor and bleakness. It’s especially enjoyable for fans of FX’s Fargo, as Thornton’s role closely mirrors his character from that series.
8. Bill Murray in A Film About Walking in Slow Motion
In A Film About Walking In Slow Motion, Bill Murray and a few others take a slow-motion walk down a hallway. That's it. No plot, no dialogue, just a simple, surreal moment.
You might be curious as to why Bill Murray participated in a 57-second film with no dialogue, minimal budget, and little to no plot. The backstory is that young filmmaker David Walton Smith was shooting a commercial at the school Bill Murray’s daughter attended. Murray kindly volunteered to be part of the commercial, and Smith asked if he'd be willing to appear in a (very) short film in lieu of an autograph. Bill Murray agreed.
The video went viral, spreading across various websites and earning nearly two million views.
7. Bryan Cranston in Writer’s Block
Bryan Cranston portrays a struggling writer, haunted by a violent past and a mysterious ghostly blonde in a black dress. The film is an enigma, prompting viewers to develop their own interpretations of what’s really going on.
Writer’s Block was created during a break in filming Cranston's movie Cold Comes The Night. While the crew was waiting to resume after being interrupted by Hurricane Sandy, Cranston challenged the production assistants to write short scripts. Whichever one he deemed best would be produced, starring him.
The winning script was Brandon Polanco’s Writer’s Block, which was filmed just three hours after it won the competition.
6. Jason Schwartzman and Wes Anderson in Castello Calvicanti
Castello Cavalcanti looks like a quintessential Wes Anderson film: colorful, charming, and almost cartoonish. Jason Schwartzman stars as the real-life race car driver Jed Cavalcanti, who crashes his Formula One car into the Italian town of Castello Calvicanti, only to discover he’s actually arrived at his family’s ancestral home.
The film boasts signature Anderson style, with elaborate set designs, impressive props (including Cavalcanti's racing car), and numerous nods to other directors Anderson admires, like Alberto Cavalcanti and Federico Fellini. Prada sponsored the film, but you'd need sharp eyes to spot the brand, subtly featured on the jackets of some characters who appear briefly at the beginning.
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5. Tenacious D To Be the Best
Six years after their movie The Pick Of Destiny flopped at the box office, we see Kyle Gass and Jack Black having gone their separate ways. Kyle has become an obsessive recluse sitting in a basement collecting Jack Black news clippings and planning his revenge. Meanwhile, Jack Black has become an international superstar who spends his days hanging out in his Beverly Hills Mansion with Val Kilmer. The two reunite, and it’s all mammoth hugging sessions, montages. and celebrity cameos.
To Be The Best brings you back to when Tenacious D made great music videos. It was directed by Jeremy Konner, who makes the Drunk History series for Funny Or Die, and features the same sort of humor. This short serves as an extended advert for their return to music and 2012 album Rize of the Fenix, but it can be enjoyed on its own.
4. Vin Diesel Multi-Facial
In *Multi-Facial*, a mixed-race actor faces challenges finding work while auditioning for films in New York during the 1990s. He attempts roles as an Italian American but is dismissed for being too dark-skinned. He then tries for African-American parts but is told he's too light in complexion.
Vin Diesel delivers a surprisingly strong performance in this film, showcasing a depth of talent not typically seen in his action-heavy career. What’s even more impressive is that he not only acted in the short but also wrote, directed, and scored it himself.
It’s said that Diesel struggled to secure acting roles, partly due to his mixed-race background, until his father encouraged him to create his own film. He did just that, recruiting fellow aspiring actors from the New York scene. The film was eventually selected for screening at the Cannes Film Festival. There, Steven Spielberg was so impressed that he offered Diesel a role in *Saving Private Ryan*.
3. Daisy Ridley – Blue Season
If you’re unfamiliar with Daisy Ridley, don’t worry: you’ll soon know her name. She was the first new female cast member revealed for the upcoming *Star Wars* film, so expect her to play a major role in the future installments.
In *Blue Season*, Sarah, portrayed by the actress, wakes up to find herself suspended upside down in a dimly lit cellar, receiving eerie instructions from an older man via a Bluetooth headset. The unsettling narrative builds to a surprising conclusion, raising many questions along the way.
*Blue Season* was created for a *48-hour film challenge*, where filmmakers are given prompts and must write and shoot a film under a strict time limit. While the film may feel a bit rough around the edges, it’s still definitely worth watching for its unique take.
2. The Jude Law Connection
At an airport, two men who speak different languages strike up a conversation. One is Nikolai Khalezin, a Belarusian theater worker, and the other is Jude Law, playing a version of himself.
As they walk through the airport, chatting in their respective languages, they each receive phone calls warning them not to return home. Jude Law’s house is surrounded by the paparazzi, while the Belarusian is told that he faces arrest upon returning for questioning election results.
Connection came to life through a collaboration with the Young Vic theatre, The Guardian, and the Belarus Free Theatre. Founded by Nikolai Khalezin and Natalia Kaliada, the theatre was created after the pair sought asylum in Britain in 2010, escaping political persecution in Belarus. The film draws inspiration from their own real-life experiences.
1. David Cross Meltdown
David Cross, best known for his role as Tobias in Arrested Development, plays the lead in this short as a talking ham sandwich.
In the story, the sandwich discovers that the fridge it lives in is gradually being consumed by a spreading ice patch. It and other food items face the threat of being destroyed one by one as the ice expands. The scenario unfolds like a disaster movie, leading up to an ending that we won't spoil.
Meltdown was directed by David Green, a filmmaker known for other shorts and advertisements. Upon its online debut, it quickly gained traction, reaching over 100,000 views in just a few days.
