The 2019 Oscar Nominated Live Action Short Films Reviews: The Five Nominated Films

As we approach the Oscars, which air later this month, we’ve been diving a bit deeper into some of the less popular, yet still high deserving of praise categories. FanBolt’s Mike McKinney has done just that with his reviews of the 2019 Oscar nominated Live action short films. Curious which ones you should check out? Take a look at his list below – and share your thoughts with us in the comment section at the bottom of the article!

2019 Oscar Nominated Live Action Short Films Reviews

Madre (2018) (Spain)

A mother and her mother come home to get ready to go to lunch when the mother gets a call from her six-year-old son that he is alone on a beach, his father went on an errand and has not returned. The action takes place in the apartment of the mother as she frantically talks to both her son and to the police. The tension rises as the son’s phone starts to run out of power and the mother becomes more desperate to figure out where her son is. I loved the performance of Marta Nieto, who plays the little boy’s mother. Nieto gives a powerful and moving performance.   My Rating: Full Price

Fauve (2018) (Canada)

Two boys are walking around the countryside playing a game of besting each other. Things are fun until they go into a surface mine and one of the boys gets stuck in a quicksand of mud. While watching the young boy sink deeper and deeper into the mud is horrific, I think this is probably the weakest film of the five. There isn’t much to the storyline, and I didn’t like the ending.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee

Marguerite (2018)  (Canada)

Marguerite knows that her life is about to come to an end. Her nurse has developed a friendship with Marguerite as she lovingly takes care of her. Marguerite reflects on her life and how it could have been different if she had acted on a relationship that she was too scared to start up. This is a moving film with a dominant performance by Beatrice Picard as Marguerite. I loved the ending of this film which summed up perfectly the relationship between the two women.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again

Detainment (2018) (Ireland)

Based on a true story, two young boys are accused and interrogated for taking a three-year-old from a store and killing him. Tension rises as the boys, being questioned by police separately, slowly admit to the crime. The horror of the parents is heartbreaking as they gradually realize that their sons actually did kill the young boy. This best thing about this film is the performance of the two boys; one boy is defiant and the other scared. It is a gut-wrenching film that hits the mark.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again

Skin (2018) (USA)

The story of a skinhead and his family who think that a great day is going out and shooting their guns. The father proudly wears Nazi symbols on his skin and thinks nothing of beating up a black man in a grocery store parking lot. The skinhead is about to get a payback that he could never have thought of. There is an excellent turn at the end of this movie that I loved.   My Rating: Full Price

Mike’s Rating System from Best to Worst:

1). I Would Pay to See it Again
2). Full Price
3). Bargain Matinee
4). Cable
5). You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again