There's a Man in the Woods

This is an absolute masterpiece of a short film and I tend to watch quite a few short films, wether it be for school or for personal enjoyment. This short film I could not commend the writers and animators on enough, it just gives you a feeling that you can't shake off and it practically entrances you to the point you'll want to replay it from the moment it ends- and I for one have watched it several times.

A teacher laments the day when one of the children in his care claims to have seen a man in the woods by the school yard, a claim which sends the other children fleeing back to the blacktop and abandoning their carefree fun in nature and instead becoming tense and being shaped by the wild stories that young Sid spins in order, it seems, to spoil their fun.

There is a lot to really enjoy about this short film and it is additionally good that the viewer enjoys it all the way to a satisfying conclusion. The plot sees a claim spiral out of control and, as the narrator tells the story we understand more about where we are (narratively) and also how we got there. The story in itself is good in a fairytale or fable way, but the manner of the narration makes it much more engaging. Written in the form of a rhyme, the choice and linkage of words is pleasing and engaging to the ear, with a nice flow and creativity to it. Added to this is that the delivery of the dialogue is very good by Michael Ho, but also that it picks up the pace in time with the story, so as things escalate in the story, so the narration becomes faster and slightly frantic before it end with a simple and satisfyingly dark final line.

The animation works well too. Deceptively colorful and friendly, it keeps this general look throughout but yet subverts itself well to differentiate between the parts of the story being told and the story we are in, although with a transition in the middle somewhere rather than a switch. It felt a perfect fit to the narration, although for me it is definitely Streilein's writing and the Ho's delivery that makes it.

A great, nerve-wracking short that stays with you long after you watched it. A disturbing masterpiece of grounded, real life horror.

Greatest short film I've ever watched. I've probably watched it 70 times and I still get chills every time. I show it to everyone I've ever met whether they want me to or not hahahaha.

There's a Man in the Woods perfectly ties animation with spoken word. Instead of simply writing a poem then animating it, the two elements clearly depend on one another. Some lines use images to deliver their final punch (the final words say it all); some images need the monologue to convey an emotion.

Another fusion of two elements in There's A Man In The Woods: the narrative. The story cuts between a montage of the past and the mysteries of the present, all through the eyes of the teacher.

If there's any complaint to be made, it's that he doesn't sound exactly middle aged if you think about it. Whilst this is true, it doesn't matter; the pure emotion of the voice actor's performance sells his character. Every line is delivered with an ounce of realism.

The animation is excellent. I've always adored the whole coniferous-trees-and-empty-roads vibe, and this film nails it. The art style explores a range of colours, balancing a large palette with a dark tint. The animation isn't smooth, but it doesn't need to - I'd rather watch a heartfelt hand-drawn film than some flashy Saturday-morning cartoon jazz.

All in all, There's A Man In The Woods is an underrated masterpiece, begging for more attention.