Calle Bolund appears <i>Flex</i> by Josefin Malmen and David Strindberg, an official selection of the Shorts Program at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute.

Movie Reviews

[Sundance ’21] ‘Flex’/’Raspberry’ reviews: Shorts deal with internal conflict in humorous ways

Trying to flex.

Nathaniel Muir

February 1, 2021

Along with showing feature films and documentaries from around the world, the Sundance Film Festival is home to many short films. They deal in a variety of topics and come in many formats. The two below deal with internal struggles and how people deal with them.

Flex

[Sundance '21] 'Flex'/'Raspberry' reviews: Shorts deal with internal conflict in humorous ways

From directors Josefine Malmen and David Strindberg, this short from Sweden deals with two topics everyone can relate to. Flex is a short about body image and working out. The film is a comedic look at how working out can make one feel better and how it is also not enough. It delves into the fine line between self improvement and self loathing.

Raspberry

Raymond Lee appears in Raspberry by Julian Doan, an official selection of the Shorts Program at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Geoff George.

For whatever reason, death has been mined for comedy often in film. Maybe it is a way of dealing with the inevitability of it. This short looks at a family that is dealing with the loss of their patriarch. One son in particular is having trouble summing up the courage to say one last goodbye.

Continue to check out AIPT for our ongoing coverage of the Sundance Film Festival. Tickets and a full lineup can be found here.

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