God Has Never Been This Jaded—or This Funny

Read Time:4 Minute, 56 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
Too Good
–

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
Year Released: 2025
Runtime: 6m
Director(s): Meron Alon
Writer(s): Meron Alon
Cast: Jean Smart, Lil Rel Howery, Tijuana Ricks, Constance Brenner, Alexander Chesworth
Where to Watch: shown at the 2025 HollyShorts Film Festival

RAVING REVIEW: Sometimes the most powerful stories come in the smallest packages, and TOO GOOD proves that six minutes is more than enough time to spark laughter, provoke thought, and challenge long-held ideas about morality and judgment. The short opens the door to an afterlife that is far from solemn, instead giving viewers a sharp-edged, comic spin on the eternal question: what makes a person “good enough”?

Jean Smart commands the screen as a God who’s seen it all and doesn’t have much patience left for humanity’s excuses. Rather than a detached and righteous authority, her take on the role blends bite with compassion, creating a figure who is as witty as she is disarming. Facing her across the divine desk is Lil Rel Howery, whose Michael is equal parts confused, defensive, and vulnerable. What could have been a one-joke premise instead evolves into a sparring match where wit and humor collide with something more lasting: the uncomfortable truth about imperfection and redemption.

Meron Alon, both writer and director, keeps the setup deceptively simple. A man dies, approaches the gates of heaven, and expects the scales of his life to be weighed. Instead, he’s subjected to an interview that feels closer to a job review than divine judgment. The stripped-down staging places all focus on the dialogue and performances, yielding interesting results. Smart and Howery bounce off one another with timing that never feels rushed, proving that brevity doesn’t mean shallow. Every line carries weight, and every pause allows the humor to give way to an underlying sting.

Thematically, TOO GOOD doesn’t settle for easy satire. It leans into the discomfort of its premise. Alon raises questions about who gets to define goodness, how much our flaws matter compared to our intentions, and whether redemption is earned or given. These aren’t posed in lofty, abstract ways but instead embedded in exchanges that any audience member can relate to.

TOO GOOD has a crisp polish that contradicts its short runtime and modest budget. The design of the afterlife is not ornate or extravagant—it’s minimal, a choice that underscores how the real focus is on the conversation. By avoiding clutter, Alon ensures the audience remains glued to Smart and Howery. That restraint pays off, as both actors deliver work that could carry a feature-length story if expanded.

Smart, in particular, is the revelation here. While she’s no stranger to commanding authority, her God is an unusual blend of irritation and hope. There’s a sparkle in her eyes that suggests she’s rooting for Michael despite herself, and that contradiction makes her performance magnetic. Howery, meanwhile, avoids overplaying the comedy, grounding his role in bewilderment and frustration that feel genuine.

Six minutes leaves viewers satisfied but also eager for more, which can be both a strength and a weakness. The film feels like the opening scene of a larger story, and while that’s intentional—there’s already mention of a feature-length expansion—it does mean the short risks feeling more like a proof of concept than a fully realized story. Yet, that brevity keeps it punchy, leaving audiences talking as the credits roll.

The tone strikes a clever balance between irreverence and sincerity. TOO GOOD doesn’t shy away from poking fun at the very idea of judgment day, but beneath the jokes lies a surprisingly compassionate view of human frailty. By the end, the audience isn’t left with answers so much as with the sense that imperfection is universal and that goodness is less about a spotless record than about intention, resilience, and honesty. That refusal to moralize is what makes the short resonate more than a straightforward comedy might.

Short films often live or die by their ability to hook an audience in moments, and TOO GOOD does exactly that. It’s witty, fast, and unapologetically sharp, but it also stays with viewers, posing questions that challenge them to reflect on their own choices. Ultimately, TOO GOOD succeeds because it treats its audience with respect. It trusts them to laugh at the absurdity of its premise while also grappling with its moral implications. While it might not break new ground in terms of structure, its execution—anchored by Smart’s unforgettable God and Howery’s relatable everyman—ensures it sticks in the memory.

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