Sundance Film Festival 2025 – Jesus 2 feels and looks like an animated short that should play on the Adult Swim Network at 3 am. It’s all kinds of weird and absurd. Though the film does have a loose plot, it’s confined by the restraint of its eight minutes. The length denies enough time for world building and a more expansive narrative.
Set in a dystopian world where people have immortality thrust upon them, the short follows two siblings, Monday (voiced by Ayako Fujitani) and Sunday (Sarah Natochenny). Both pirates, they attempt to overthrow an evil entity known as “Jesus 2” on their ship named Gran Madre. Other than the quest, the film features all sorts of truly bizarre side characters. The world certainly looks cool, enhanced by the stellar animation. That said, eight minutes just isn’t enough time to really dive deeply into this space. That’s a shame. The short really only scratches the surface of this dystopian universe. I’d love to see some of these worlds fleshed out in more detail. For instance, there’s a sequence where one of the villains rules over a hellscape. I want more of that.
Additionally, we know very little about the characters. This includes the villain but also the siblings. Though they’re the focus of the short, we really learn next to nothing about them. Again, this is all due to the time constraint. This very much feels like it should be a series. Hopefully, writer/director Jesse Moynihan will get the chance at some point. There’s plenty of potential here, but the plot points don’t come across in such limited time.
I do think there’s a fanbase out there for Jesus 2. The short resembles some of the 90s and early 2000s animated series like MTV’s The Head or Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Jesus 2 has lots of potential, but more often than not, it’s held back by its limited runtime. Still, this bonkers world deserves further exploration.