The Black Balloon

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

While trying to move 40 kids six New York City blocks all by himself, a stressed man accidentally loses a bouquet of a hundred balloons. In that bouquet, a lone black balloon scurries free f... Read allWhile trying to move 40 kids six New York City blocks all by himself, a stressed man accidentally loses a bouquet of a hundred balloons. In that bouquet, a lone black balloon scurries free from the rest. It dies and comes back to life, returning to the city, cruising for a compan... Read allWhile trying to move 40 kids six New York City blocks all by himself, a stressed man accidentally loses a bouquet of a hundred balloons. In that bouquet, a lone black balloon scurries free from the rest. It dies and comes back to life, returning to the city, cruising for a companion. On its beat, it learns that humans are complicated creatures with extreme highs and l... Read all

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.7/10

501

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 2 wins & 3 nominations total

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User reviews2

6.7501

Featured reviews

willsteenlandan

penetrating performances

The black balloon is a masterclass in American short films. The performances are standout, remain with you long after the watching the film. Josh & Benn are a rare dynamic family duo unlike the other sibling-teams they break the rules with finesse.

9Portis_Charles

Electrifying energy

Good energy of chaotic but mastered filmmaking, capturing in very intense close-up shots ultra-stressed characters, struggling to tear the object of their desire from life, in a diverse and raw Manhattan offering a rich aesthetic context to the action. You have to see Larry "Ratso" Sloman roaming the streets, talking to the black balloon...

Above this boiling pot, in fertile contrast, floats a haunting music with magical accents, 'Zero the Hero and the Witch's Spell' by Gong. It's obsessive and fascinating.

It could be said of the film that it conveys a dark vision of the human kind, a block of frustration and unhappiness contrasting with the benevolent lightness of a balloon candidly floating in the air. But it is done with such electrifying energy that we can only draw from it more optimism, freshness, will.