Happy For You Short Film Review: A Heartfelt Take On Losing In Friendship

Everyone has friends, and everyone loves to brag about them. Especially if they’ve been around for nearly your whole life. I mean, it’s not an easy feat, but nobody ever wants to talk about losing someone you’ve been around your whole life because of one mistake. As someone who’s always had great luck with friendships, I was fully invested in “Happy For You,” because it focuses on two people trying to rewire a broken connection. Anyone who has lost anyone will know how impossible a task this is. But “Happy For You” does an incredible job setting the tone of the film early on, making you highly curious about what the fight was all about, and why these two people who are meant to be besties are so awkward around each other.

The opening act of the film genuinely feels like a thriller that is written to make you feel uncomfortable. It drives you to find out what exactly happened between these two people and has you wondering why they decided to meet up after so long. The end result is something very moody and absolutely worth your time. I’ve recently become interested in shorts, because if I’m not binging something massive, I’m usually on YouTube, enjoying daily vlogs. There has never been an in-between. But recently I’ve realized how incredibly entertaining shorts can be. “Happy For You” has been one of the best I’ve seen so far, and they’ve all been pretty good.

I do think it’s the kind of short that can be expanded into a feature-length film, maybe 2 years down the line, and I can say “Oh, I know this story.” Philip James Brannon and Mallory Portnoy carry the short with elegance and incredible chemistry. Yes, I say chemistry even though they’re spending most of their time together being awkward and uncomfortable around one another. We’ve got to remember that they used to be besties until 2 years ago, and that is rather evident, which I think is a very hard thing to achieve.

The short is only sixteen minutes long and packs a gut punch near the end. Also, anyone with siblings they have good relations with will hundred percent enjoy this short. Sometimes, while watching these, I have to wonder what’s going to happen after, what direction these characters will take in the future, but “Happy For You” gives us very clear answers that I was really thrilled by. The film touches upon some very sensitive issues while still being suitable for casual viewing. Truth be told, I fear it could act as a catalyst for real-life fights, or maybe a possible friendship test. I think it’s an excellent conversation starter, and now I wish I’d seen it with someone I could have a discussion with. So, if you do plan on watching it, I would recommend trying to get a buddy to join you.

Visually too, the short is very well produced and does clearly look like everyone involved knows exactly what they planned on doing here. The cinematography, color grading, and everything else is pretty good. Oh, and let’s not forget the gorgeous house that they’re spending the weekend in. I love that both characters are well established as individuals, though it seemed like they might’ve been struggling before their big split. It’s almost as if that had to happen for them to grow. The more I think about the film, the more theories I’m able to come up with about the characters. That, in my opinion, is an excellent sign, especially for a drama like this one.

In particular, “Happy For You” has a profound message that everyone can take in their own way. It’s heartfelt and meaningful, not just something superficial about friends falling out. It looks almost as if it’s drawing from personal experiences, like it’s a lived-in experience that was put to paper. The screenplay is especially good, though one might try to argue there’s nothing special in conversations between old friends; I’d argue that those are the hardest to get right. I’ve been feeling more inclined towards shorts, and if they continue to be this good, I’m going to get obsessed soon. They’re so easy to watch in one sitting during your lunch or during a little break. If you’ve been skeptical about watching shorts, then let me tell you that I was four steps ahead of you always. I always felt like it would not give me enough, and I would feel unfulfilled after watching a short. My skepticism simply made me a fool for missing out. But if you want to start now and are looking for something new, then give “Happy For You” a go, at the risk of setting a very high standard. At the end of the day, short films are a way to take a step into the world of cinema. This may be for the ones working behind the camera, or people like you and me who might not know that there’s an entire world out there, easy to devour and access.

Before I leave you to decide whether to watch “Happy For You” or not, I want to add that this is a film that will not leave you happy. Don’t be confused by the colorful title. Despite the casual packaging, it touches upon some really sensitive topics, so I can’t fully recommend it to everybody. But that’s okay; if you’re happy to watch something sensitive, emotionally strong, and grounded in reality, then please give “Happy For You” a go. With that, I give the film 4 out of 5 stars and leave you with high expectations.