The Windshield Wiper (2021)

The Windshield Wiper Review

The Windshield Wiper is a 2021 animated short film directed by Alberto Mielgo. It was nominated for an Academy Award.

Inside a café while smoking a whole pack of cigarettes, a man poses an ambitious question: What is love? A collection of vignettes and situations will lead the man to the desired conclusion. This is one of those social dramas about society that try to be ambitious, but mostly end up being overly pretentious in my opinion. It’s a solid and artistically put together flick, but it isn’t as sophisticated as it thinks it is.

Its animation is gorgeous. The editing is also quite accomplished and the movie’s emphasis on love, sex and relationships was great, especially in the modern context with Tinder and similar apps showcased here. The imagery on screen was so memorable that the dialogue came off as unnecessary and the flick should have been entirely silent. It would have been much better that way.

The Windshield Wiper has its memorable imagery and excellent animation, but its narrative approach and dialogue felt pretentious.

My Rating – 3.7