Friendly Shadow

👍 79% 1st Watch | Shorts Ranked These are really fun to watch! David James Armsby strikes again with a short film that is enjoyable. It's a little longer than Model Citizen or Children's Toys but the film has a more traditional story. The animation is nice and the audience feels the darkness of the story. The cinematography pairs nicely with it. There are many shots which look stunning. One of my favorites was the match-cut with the cake. It was a wonderful moment. However, there are some aspects that don't work as well. When it comes to being a dystopian, I feel that's where this film fails for me. Model Citizen and Children's Toys feel like societal dystopians. However, Friendly Shadow only feels like a detective story. It feels a lot like a re-skin of a classic detective plot rather than a unique story. Despite this, there is still the major theme of immersing yourself into different communities. By staying in only community, you are a lot more clueless by your surroundings. This is shown with the girl, who is able to experience an entirely new world because of being friends with the freak. One could argue that the masks that the citizens of Autodale wear help show how clueless they are. They are blind from the truth. Overall, this short film is still good but it feels a lot more normal. It's a simple detective story with the setting of Autodale as a paint coat. There are themes about introducing yourself to many communities and cultures instead of being confined in just one. There is also excellent cinematography and animation. Friendly Shadow is definitely not a bad film, but once again, it's pale in comparison to Model Citizen. ⬅ Previous Short Film: Children's Toys ⬅ Previous Review: The Fellowship of the Ring