The Ultimate Cheat Sheet to Short Films on YouTube: 20 Binge-Worthy, Weird, and Just Long Enough to Skip Work

Ready to waste some time productively? Good. This guide has everything you need to dive into the best short films on YouTube, covering every genre that actually matters.

Whether you’re a die-hard horror fan or an aspiring filmmaker, we’ve got your cinematic snack right here.

Skip the two-hour movie marathons and treat yourself to the best in award-winning short films without leaving your sofa.

Why Short Films?

Short films pack a punch that most blockbusters just can’t match. With best drama short films on YouTube like Paperman, you’ll get emotional closure faster than your last relationship.

For the aspiring director or indie film buff, short films are basically the holy grail of storytelling economy—big ideas, tiny budgets, and no filler.

Oh, and they make excellent inspiration for your next film school project. You’re welcome.

The Quick Binge-Worthy Fix: 20 Must-Watch Short Films by Genre

Best Horror Short Films on YouTube

Because nothing says “relax” like a three-minute heart attack.

• Lights Out: Ever wonder why you’re scared of the dark? Here’s the film that sparked a full-length feature and a lot of sleepless nights. Watch with the lights on, or don’t—your call.

• Tuck Me In: Only 60 seconds long, but you’ll regret watching this before bed. It’s a minimalist nightmare with maximum payoff.

• Portrait of God (2023): This psychological horror short directed by Dylan Clark delivers tension in a subtle, eerie way. When a religious girl presents a painting titled “Portrait of God” to her class, the terror creeps in as her peers see a disturbing figure she can’t recognise. If you’re into horror that crawls under your skin, this one’s for you.

Best Drama Short Films on YouTube

For when you need emotional closure in under 10 minutes.

• Paperman: A paper plane love story that’s surprisingly romantic for an office setting. If Pixar made rom-coms, this would be it.

• The Jog: Tackling social justice issues head-on, The Jog brings a relevant and gut-wrenching story to life in just a few minutes. It’s not an easy watch, but it’s important.

• Locker Room (2017): This Australian short addresses toxic masculinity and locker room culture, focusing on the moral dilemma of a teenage girl. It’s a heavy yet necessary exploration of high school dynamics and the choices we make when faced with injustice.

• Forget Me Not (2018): An emotionally charged film about two young girls coping with their bipolar mother, Forget Me Not delivers a realistic portrayal of how mental health affects not just the individual but the entire family. It’s touching, thought-provoking, and beautifully acted.

• The Long Goodbye (2020): Directed by Aneil Karia and starring Riz Ahmed, this short depicts a British-Pakistani family facing a violent, racist attack. Harrowing and visceral, it’s a powerful commentary on identity, belonging, and the shocking realities of racial violence.

Best Sci-Fi Short Films Available on YouTube

If you’re into existential dread or just want to feel like you’ve learnt something.

• I’m You, Dickhead: Time travel, a man obsessed with learning guitar, and a lesson on why the past is better left alone. It’s hilarious, slightly sad, and weirdly relatable.

• Sight: A futuristic take on augmented reality and gamification, exploring what happens when reality becomes just another game. Prepare to question your smartphone use.

Best Animated Short Films on YouTube

For when you want a break from reality but don’t want to commit to a feature-length animation.

• Geri’s Game: Pixar’s classic tale of one man, a chessboard, and enough emotional depth to outshine most feature films.

• Anima: A visual feast with Thom Yorke’s haunting music to accompany Paul Thomas Anderson’s experimental story. It’s like a dream you’ll struggle to explain, but won’t forget.

For the Filmmakers: Short Films to Study (Yes, We Did Your Homework)

Aspiring filmmakers, take note: The best short films for aspiring directors on YouTube are basically a masterclass in storytelling.

These are films that take the impossible—making something amazing in under 10 minutes—and somehow pull it off.

Watching these will teach you more about narrative structure than your entire semester of screenwriting class.

• Pitch Black Heist: With Michael Fassbender in the lead, this short film is a perfect example of budget creativity and tension-building. If you want to learn how to do more with less, start here.

• Thunder Road: A one-shot eulogy that’s awkward, emotional, and brutally real. This film shows how to deliver character study with limited resources, and the payoff is huge.

• The Big Shave (1967): An early Scorsese short, The Big Shave is a metaphorical tale about a man shaving himself until he bleeds. Though brief, it foreshadows Scorsese’s signature psychological depth. A must-watch for cinephiles looking to see where it all started.

Indie Gems You Can Brag About

Want to impress your film-loving friends? Drop some lesser-known titles and enjoy the validation.

• The Disappearance of Willie Bingham: A dark and disturbing dive into the justice system. It’s horrifying in the best way and an instant conversation starter.

• 1500 Words: A man only has 1500 words left to live, forcing him to choose each one carefully. It’s bleak, clever, and everything you want in an indie short.

• Zamboni Man (2004): This quiet indie gem tells the story of a Zamboni driver and a figure skater forming an unlikely friendship. Set in the haunting silence of an ice rink after hours, it’s a serene exploration of human connection through minimal dialogue.

Quirky, Funny, and Just Plain Strange Short Films

Sometimes, you just want a short that’s more weird than wonderful, where the absurd reigns.

• Goldman v. Silverman (2020): Directed by the Safdie Brothers and starring Adam Sandler, this quirky short takes place in New York’s Times Square, featuring two street performers locked in a battle for attention. It’s funny, weird, and a perfect character study in under seven minutes.

• The Gunfighter (2014): This hilarious western, where the characters can hear the narrator, is a brilliant twist on the genre. Directed by Eric Kissack, The Gunfighter is for anyone who loves sharp dialogue and meta-comedy.

Future Trends in Short Films: What’s Coming

The world of short films is on the verge of an AI revolution. With platforms like Runway ML stepping into the scene, we’re seeing a wave of AI-generated short films on YouTube, and it’s both thrilling and slightly terrifying.

Take the recent Gen:48 AI film competition as a prime example.

This competition gave filmmakers 48 hours to create entire films using nothing but AI, and the results—while not always perfect—are a sign of where filmmaking is headed.

Films like 2026, an apocalyptic reality TV short, have shown that AI can create entire scripts, direct scenes, and even generate visuals.

While the output isn’t flawless (AI still struggles with things like coherent human hands), it’s clear that AI is becoming a major player in filmmaking​​.

Imagine the potential for interactive short films where AI-generated content responds in real-time to viewer choices.

The technology is already being tested, with AI tools like Runway Gen-2 creating videos from simple text descriptions.

Soon, you’ll not only be watching short films on YouTube but possibly directing them in real-time.

AI’s impact on filmmaking is undeniable. The best AI-generated short films on YouTube are a glimpse into the future where technology reduces production time, cost, and labour, making filmmaking accessible to anyone with a decent laptop and a wild imagination.

As this technology improves, expect more filmmakers—both indie and mainstream—to experiment with AI-generated short films.

Whether you’re excited or slightly terrified, it’s safe to say the future of short films is here, and it’s smarter than we thought.

Final Thoughts: Stop Reading, Start Watching

Whether you’re an indie film lover or an aspiring director, the world of YouTube short films is a treasure trove.

The best short films on YouTube right now are quick, easy, and often better than the bloated epics cluttering your Netflix queue.

So stop wasting time, start clicking, and enjoy the ride—before the algorithm kicks in and you end up watching a cat video.

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