5 Shorts to Watch on Mubi

With Film Club, not only do you save money on every cinema ticket, you also get 3 months free membership of Mubi*.

Mubi’s eclectic collection of short films ranges from works by seasoned filmmakers to debut pieces from future stars. In 30 minutes or under, you can indulge in these cinematic shorts.

Tuesday (Charlotte Wells, 2015)

Charlotte Wells wowed audiences and critics alike with her debut feature film, Aftersun, starring Paul Mescal. Her first short similarly depicts a father-daughter relationship. 

Tuesday demonstrates Wells’ talent for muted visual storytelling. She unveils fragile stories with elegance. In 11 minutes, Tuesday compels feelings of grief by omission through what isn’t said and isn’t on screen. Every frame and every word is intentional.

This short is a lesson on the art of subtlety.

A Short Story (Bi Gan, 2022)

Long Day’s Journey into Night (2018) director Bi Gan creates atmospheric, surreal visuals with vivid colour and complex camerawork.

Gan was commissioned by Pidan, a Chinese cat product company, to create a short film about cats. The result is A Short Story, a whimsical fairy tale revealed from the perspective of a black cat, narrated by Gan himself.

This short is a must-watch for any fan of the visual style and techniques of Wong Kar-Wai.

Wasp (Andrea Arnold, 2003)

Chaotic and anxiety-inducing but honest and raw, Andrea Arnold’s Oscar-winning short, Wasp, is a brutal portrayal of motherhood as a working-class single parent. Arnold delicately juxtaposes handheld, documentary-style shots with pastel imagery, expressing social realism with profound sensitivity.

Meeting the Man: James Baldwin in Paris (Terence Dixon, 1970)

British filmmakers clash with James Baldwin in this confrontational documentary short shot in Paris, 1970. Terrence Dixon and his crew aim to profile Baldwin as a literary figure while arrogantly dismissing his political activism. Baldwin gracefully obliterates them with his intellect, reframing the misguided narrative Dixon had planned. Instead, Baldwin explores what it means to be a black expatriate in Paris.

Watch this purely for James Baldwin.

27 (Flóra Anna Buda, 2023) 

In Noah Baumbach’s coming-of-age comedy, Frances Ha (2012), Greta Gerwig’s Frances asks her flatmate Benji if she looks “older than 27,” to which he replies, “No. 27 is old though.” 

27, of course, is not old. But to anyone in their 20s, 27 feels like you’ve officially been severed from youth. You’re too old for youth programmes, too old for student ticket discounts. 27 is the first time in your life you no longer feel young. Your 30s are looming, and the pressure to have your life together is intense. 

Flóra Anna Buda’s animated Cannes prize-winner embodies this sentiment of young adulthood but releases the pressure. Contrasting the relatable reality of a young woman stuck living with her parents against vibrant psychedelic imagery, 27 is a playful escape for anyone in their mid-to-late twenties.

*This is for new Mubi customers only.

Yasmine Bywater, Marketing Intern

This a guest blog. The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed in this content are solely the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of Warwick Arts Centre.