Spoilers prefer their sci-fi with more science.

I’ve always considered this one my favorite anthology of short films of Fantasia. However, I have to consider the selection a bit underwhelming this year. I don’t mind when the science fiction is kept on the background, but for several shorts I felt the stories also lacked engagement. Then again, your mileage might vary and all that. Only two films grabbed my attention. Let’s get into it.

Let’s see what we’re working with:

  • RIFT by Farhad Bakhtiarikish. An old tale that might as well be called piña colada dressed up with VR. Nothing new.
  • TEN WITH A FLAG by Vasco Alexandre. Intriguing and sharp, but more eerie dystopian than sci-fi. At least decently executed.
  • A MIND CANNOT TOUCH by Geoffrey Prather. Known premise, given away from the start. Nothing new.
  • FOR PEOPLE IN TROUBLE by Alex Lawther. Yes, this is the one executively produced by Ben Afflect and Matt Damon. A feeble execution and hard to follow dialog didn’t help.
  • FINAL FOREVER by Tess Quatri. When a short film is dull enough to feel long, it’s in trouble. Nothing new.
  • AUTOPILOT by Jennifer Zhang. Finally a science fiction film. Solid performance, smooth storytelling. It was a breath of fresh air. Recommended.
  • MY PROTECTOR by Diana Mills Smith. Science fiction revamping a known concept, but the characters were engaging and they didn’t kill the dog. A little too much exposition with the heavy handed narration giving everything away at the start. Recommended with reservations.

That will do for now.