Slamdance 2024 Film Festival – I haven’t seen a short film in some time that quite captures the existential dread of the 21st Century, this decade especially, quite as well as writer/director Luis Grané’s animated short, Nowhere Stream. While the concept of a man sitting behind his computer screen may seem simple on paper, the visuals and surreal animation elevate this short to the next level.

The film follows a nameless man who surfs one website after the other, all of which reinforce the grim reality of his daily life. His bank account reads zero. An online dating site leads to no matches. When he searches how to be successful, the results are absurd. He’s the type of character a lot of folks will be able to relate to because all he wants is a little happiness. He seeks meaning in a virtual world that’s just not there, and he never shuts down his computer long enough to actually go outside and well, meet people. He’s a lonely dude, and in our constant need to plug in and tune in, I suspect that’s another reason why this character, who never says a world, will draw sympathy from viewers.

The animation here impresses, especially when the man is sucked into strange and unusual moments. There’s one point when his keyboard transforms into a waffle with globs of jelly. He even munches on one of the keys. These little moments are a creative juxtaposition to the character’s bummer of a reality, and they add dashes of humor.

For as unusual as Nowhere Stream is at times, it has realistic moments that feel all too relevant.  I would love to see this turned into an animated feature. Heck, maybe this man can find a little love and a good-paying job in the process. The short makes for an inventive and engaging seven minutes that captures the loneliness of the virtual world so well.

8 Out of 10