Rebellion, Anxiety, and One Hell of a Metaphor

Read Time:5 Minute, 10 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
Ovary-Acting
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Genre: Animation, Short
Year Released: 2025
Runtime: 13m
Director(s): Ida Melum
Writer(s): Laura Jayne Tunbridge
Cast: Synnøve Karlsen, Sofia Oxenham, Katy Secombe, Jordan John, Daisy-May Parsons, Ellie Redshaw
Where to Watch: shown at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival

RAVING REVIEW: There’s a certain thrill when a short refuses to tiptoe around a subject and barrels straight through it with energy, humor, and no fear. This one doesn’t ask for permission—it makes an entrance, lays everything out, and dares you to look away. It’s the kind of story that hits hard without losing its wit, using a handcrafted world to dissect one of the most pressurized questions a person can face. And despite its short runtime, it manages to stir up an entire storm of feelings while keeping its comedic edge intact.

At the center of this chaotic little triumph is a protagonist caught between celebration and scrutiny. A setting as seemingly harmless as a baby shower turns into a full-on pressure cooker, a place where niceties twist into demands. The way this scenario unravels is both surreal and familiar: instead of snapping under the weight of invasive questions, her body quite literally rebels. The film leans into absurdity without losing focus, letting the bizarre serve the story instead of overwhelming it. It’s not just a visual gag; it’s a window into everything brewing under the surface.

The metaphor lands because it doesn’t beg for interpretation. It trusts the audience to pick up what it’s putting down, resulting in a more confident piece of storytelling. This confidence bleeds through every aspect of the project, starting with the script from Laura Jayne Tunbridge. It’s brimming with insight, but never preachy. The dialogue strikes a rhythm that’s both personal and provocative, laced with moments that alternate between uncomfortable truth and laugh-out-loud absurdity.

The direction from Ida Melum plays with that same balance. Her touch behind the camera doesn’t overstate or undersell the material—it lets the handmade chaos of the world speak for itself. The animation’s quality is vital to the emotional texture here. There’s something inherently intimate about seeing emotions and ideas molded into shape. This isn’t a sterile animation style; it’s gritty in the best way, full of character and imperfections that serve the narrative’s messiness.

Svein Erik Okstad’s design work fills each corner of the screen with detail that feels deliberate but never overstuffed. The sets and character models bring this strange microcosm to life, while Jøran Wærdahl’s cinematography frames each moment with subtle emotion. The camera doesn’t just follow the action—it underscores the protagonist’s isolation and internal tug-of-war. Whether static or spinning into mayhem, the visuals echo what’s being said underneath the surface.

Casting is another area where this short flexes its range. Synnøve Karlsen gives the lead a sense of exhaustion that doesn’t turn passive—a quiet storm in her delivery pulls the viewer in. Opposite her, Sofia Oxenham plays a walking, talking source of anxiety with just enough charm to avoid becoming insufferable. Their dynamic walks a tightrope, letting comedy spring from tension rather than exaggerated antics.

Of course, the biggest limitation is time. There’s only so much room for exploration with just a few minutes to play. What we get is sharp and clear, but there’s a sense that this world could handle more depth, especially when digging into long-term consequences or societal structures beyond the immediate situation. Medical systems, generational narratives, partner dynamics—so many offshoots could’ve added layers. That said, it’s not a matter of missing elements as much as a hunger for more.

What sets this apart isn’t just the unique concept or the animation style—it’s the attitude. This is a story that isn’t here to offer comfort. It’s here to call things out, provoke, and laugh through the discomfort. It understands the complexity of autonomy without trying to simplify it or make it palatable for every audience. There’s power in that choice.

The fact that it lands so well in such a brief span speaks volumes about the clarity of the vision behind it. The film meets the audience where they are and dares them to think deeper, laugh harder, and ask a few uncomfortable questions after the credits roll.

Projects like this don’t come along often. It challenges, entertains, and sticks with you, not because it wraps up everything with a tidy bow, but because it doesn’t pretend life works that way. It chooses chaos and, in doing so, finds a kind of clarity, even if few shorts attempt it.

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[photo courtesy of KLIPP OG LIM, JANTE FILMS, APPARAT]

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