DROBOIVS25

    Posted by Droboivs25  6/15/2025  4:30PM

   GROUP FILM REVIEW: NURSERY RHYMES

   Director: Tom Noakes
   Written by Will Goodfellow
   Produced by Lucy Gaffy & Morgan Benson-Taylor

    Characters: Toby Wallace, Sara West, Lucie Cleuet, Braithe Selby, Stef Smith, Wade Keighran

 At first glance, Nursery Rhymes seems like it might be a joke. A shirtless guy with a scruffy look is standing by a quiet road, singing Old MacDonald Had a Farm” as loud as he can. It’s weird, kind of funny, and definitely unexpected. But as the camera holds on him and never cuts away you start to realize there’s something a lot heavier going on. What starts out as odd and kind of silly turns into something emotional and deeply unsettling.

The story doesn’t waste time pulling you in. It’s engaging from the start, partly because you’re trying to figure out what exactly you’re watching. But that confusion quickly turns into curiosity, and then something else entirely sadness, maybe even grief. Without giving away too much, the film slowly reveals that the man’s strange behavior isn’t random. There’s a reason he’s doing this, and once you understand it, the whole thing becomes heart-wrenching.

Even though there’s only one character and no real dialogue, the acting is powerful. Toby Wallace says so much without saying a single word. His face, his movements, the way he sings it all tells a story. You can feel his pain, even if you don’t know the full details of what happened to him. That’s impressive for any film, but especially one that’s only five minutes long.

The way this short was filmed is another reason it works so well. It’s done in a single continuous shot, which really adds to the emotional weight. There are no cuts, no distractions. You’re stuck there with him, just like he’s stuck in his own emotions. The camera stays steady, and the wide-open, empty background makes him seem even more alone. It’s beautifully shot, but in a raw, honest kind of way.

And then there’s the sound or the lack of it. There’s no music score, just the man’s voice singing that children’s song over and over. At first, it’s kind of awkward. Then it becomes hard to listen to, not because it sounds bad, but because it starts to mean something else. The singing becomes this weird, heartbreaking window into what he’s feeling.

By the end of the film, I was honestly surprised by how much it affected me. It made me feel something real, which doesn’t always happen especially not in such a short amount of time. I went from laughing a little to just sitting there quietly, thinking about what I’d just seen. It’s one of those short films that sticks with you, long after it’s over.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely. It’s short, it’s different, and it’s incredibly moving. Nursery Rhymes proves you don’t need big effects or long run times to make a powerful film. You just need honesty, creativity, and a story that      hits where it counts.

  Link to the short film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLS_JmpL_70

                                                                                                         

Posted by: Droboivs group