This short film is decidedly more macabre than any of the others on this list, but I’ve come back to it several times this year. It hooks me on multiple levels: the score is eerily gorgeous (or maybe gorgeously haunting), the animation is fantastic, and in the span of a few minutes, it makes me care about these creatures and their creator.
It also hooks me as a tribute to Jim Henson, whose Muppets have kindled countless creative fires long after Henson’s tragic death. I like the thought that our creations have life even after we are gone.
I like short films that take a simple idea (in this case, a puppeteer and his puppets) and turn the idea on its ear. I also love short films that, like Tyler’s earlier entry, can tell a story without using words.
