World of Tomorrow Review

World of Tomorrow is a 2015 science fiction animated short film directed by Don Hertzfeldt and nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. It is a smart, powerful film.

The plot is very complex and for the running time of just about 15 minutes, there happens a lot as it is filled with a lot of dialogue and story ideas. That is the film’s biggest strength – its ideas, thoughts and observations presented to us through some great dialogue and memorable lines. The line that says that people appreciate the present only when it becomes the past is the strongest and definitely truthful. I adored its sophisticated approach with its smart screenplay and most importantly strong dialogue. That is the thing you always get in Don Hertzfeldt’s films – visionary storytelling with some great dialogue.

The film sometimes has too episodic nature and the animation is still crude. But it is improved nonetheless with the nice use of digital animation and some very artistic moments. I liked the characterization as Emily Clone is so relatable and complex whereas Emily Prime is adorable with her baby talk. Some scenes here are very emotional with the last act being so moving. The use of science fiction themes and ideas is put to great use and I loved the story overall as it is sophisticated and even authentic in some aspects. Don Hertzfeldt directed this film wonderfully and, although not his best work, it is still very good and one of the best Oscar nominated shorts of the year.