The Netflix animated short film If Anything Happens I Love You is an extremely emotional tale of two parents who are coping with the loss of their daughter. However, the film is even more touching as it reveals the story in reverse chronology highlighting the increasing number of cases of gun violence in America.
Released earlier last year, the film takes us through a grief-stricken journey of a couple who receive the last words of their daughter via text message that ‘If Anything Happens I love You’. Yes, their daughter was the victim of gun violence and in the present time, we see the grieving parents finding it difficult to move on in their lives.
How difficult it can be for parents; we can never imagine. However, the silent film with minimalistic visuals and with the use of shadows have captured the essence and emotions of the characters.
We have read such news of school shootings in the United States or elsewhere, but not many of us have ever imagined the pain of parents, friends, and family members. In the film, we feel their emotions as the silence, the loneliness of the characters, and the constant memories of their kid hit us like anything.
Written and directed by Michael Govier and Will McCormack, If Anything Happens I Love You is an incredible achievement in storytelling. It delivers such a powerful impact within a short span. While it is too emotional and tragic a subject, the way the story is constructed where we see their deceased child trying to let her parents know that she is still there, makes us think about our lives and all those beautiful moments and memories even more.
The story, animation, music, character design, and, of course, the way it drives our imagination and emotions are very real and worth a watch. It definitely prompts us to think about the issue and sparks conversations on the accessibility of guns in our society and the terror associated as a result of that.
This award-winning 2020 animated short film If Anything Happens I Love You is available on Netflix.
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