Ninety-Five Senses

The thinking may have changed a bit today – something that Jared and Jerusha Hess’ Oscar-shortlisted short animation acknowledges – but if you grew up in the Western world in a certain era, you will have been taught that you possess five senses. This film has a heavy focus on time and place and, as it explores each one of them, tells a story which will make you appreciate the senses you possess more keenly than ever.

The animation style is simple but wonderfully done and very much in service of the film’s aims. Different animators worked on each sense, giving them distinctive character although they flow together well. We learn what they meant to the film’s protagonist as he grew up, which will inspire nostalgia for some and which quickly makes the film distinctive for others. Though he is, in effect, put together piece by piece, this man quickly comes to feel like a whole person. His predicament is a little more complex than you may initially imagine. As we discover it, we pass through comedy and tragedy into a situation of profound gravity.

To achieve all this in just 13 minutes is no small feat, especially as the story unfolds at a gentle, natural pace, and continues beyond the point when a lesser team might have tied it up, satisfied that they’d made their point. As a result, it manages to touch on something universal, to which every viewer will sooner or later relate. Its assured rhythm gives it full of control of viewers’ emotional responses and, though it may leave you feeling sad – horrified, even – it also evokes gratitude.

Far from the flashiest contender in its category, Ninety-Five Senses is a simple work done well. It’s a masterclass in storytelling, and it reminds us why storytelling matters.