Nimic (2019) User Reviews

Supportive horror

[BrorsanW · 8/10 · 10 November 2019]

Works perfectly as a trial run for any potential Lanthimos convertee. In a short 12 minute span we find ourselves confused, laughing and then scared, in that order. It takes a while for the horror of the scenario to truly set it. To me, there's something so powerful in it's themes of self-deprecation and self-percieved inadequacy. I think a lot of people compare themselves to others, but here we see how truly scary that concept can be when taken to it's logical conclusion. For being a horror short it sure does end up being quite reassuring.

Mubi Selection

[yusufpiskin · 8/10 · 26 November 2020]

Lanthimos had been working hard to prove his talent for psychological horror, although you can say the favourite was an execption! but this short film is an worthy promise to a long one... maybe the best one we ever seen from lanthimos...

Decent

[isaacsundaralingam · 7/10 · 13 February 2021]

It was a fun 12 minutes, I have to admit. Nothing too spectacular, but nothing too bland either.

I don't know this for sure but it has certain similarities to Zulawski's Possession; from the way certain scenes were framed, the camera angles and just the overall vibe.

What does it all mean? Yorgos is as good as mine.

[Pjtaylor-96-138044 · 7/10 · 11 September 2023]

Perhaps the greatest strength of 'Nimic (2019)' is its ambiguity, which keeps you pondering its meaning long after its credits have rolled. Though I felt as though I had a pretty solid grasp on what was actually happening as I watched it, a conversation with my brother soon led me to realise that even the aspects I took for granted as being 'canon' are actually rife for interpretation. Furthermore, the underlying "why" of it all is firmly out of reach; it's impossible to know if it's meant to act as an allegory for something or if it's simply designed to provoke thought regarding the themes and fears it touches on. It's an odd, unsettling and uncompromisingly enigmatic experience that gets under your skin without you really knowing why. It's calmly yet confidently constructed, with sleek cinematography and deadpan performances. It's a very dry affair and it certainly won't appeal to everyone, but - if you can get on its wavelength - it's a distinct and unnerving short that should keep you engaged throughout.

Nimic

[dansolo-20563 · 7/10 · 21 December 2020]

What a strange 11 minutes. The real appeal of this short was the very off orchestral music, and those zooms. Very very strange zooms, like they came out of the 70s. The whole formal makeup of the piece made it pretty unsettling, which made it perfect for the completely idiosyncratic plot. Mimicry leads to complete theft, and replacement, breeding a cursed cycle of corruption, beginning with the innocent question of "do you have the time?" Esoteric as it was, it didn't fail to be quite captivating, and the camerawork and cinematography were clearly very controlled

Low 7

It's not what you think it is!

[ashfordofficial · 6/10 · 28 November 2021]

Yorgos Lanthimos said, "it's time for lesbian representation." A thought provoking short with a wonderful cast and outstanding cinematography. He needs to make more shorts with his impressive mind.

Surrealism Meets Ambiguity in a Divisive Cinematic Endeavour

[pchs0114 · 6/10 · 9 August 2023]

While this movie undeniably showcases the signature surrealism we've come to expect from Yorgos Lanthimos, it might just be a bit too enigmatic for its own good. The film navigates the complex themes of identity and human relationships with a disconcerting flair but often leaves viewers grappling for solid ground. Matt Dillon's performance, though commendably intense, sometimes feels overshadowed by the movie's overindulgence in its own obscurity. The pacing, though aiming for unsettling, occasionally veers into the tedious. The visuals and score, while atmospheric, may come off as heavy-handed to those looking for a subtler narrative. Overall, this movie is a testament to Lanthimos' distinctive style, but its insistence on ambiguity may not sit well with all.

Enjoyable

[stefano_pan · 8/10 · 4 December 2020]

It's less than 10 minutes and it's beautiful and enjoyable at least. It's like Dostoyevsky's "The Double" but really short and it's Lanthimos instead.

The same old doppelgänger's joke but at least there are some of the most beautiful pairs of feet seen lately.

[mehobulls · 4/10 · 27 November 2020]

The somnambulistic universe inhabited by Lanthimos/Fillipou characters is not limited to closures through the wide-angle lens use. It extends to a reactionary critique of home, family, affectivity, de-historicizing (contra, say, Bergman's similar doublings in 'Persona') the pathologies that afflict it by stretching the doppelgänger effect ad infinitum and by reducing structures to communicative breaching experiments.

A really creepy life exchange.

[AlbertCinefilu · 8/10 · 28 November 2020]

I've seen some programs on the Romanian TV in which a mother would take care of someone else's child for a week or a month, but that was just stupid and mundane, no more original than say, being a babysitter. But the idea behind this short movie is creepy, almost grotesque. I didn't know what doppelgänger means though I've heard it several times before. Nevertheless, I think it's always great to learn a new word and see both it's literally meaning and the figurative one.

Easily the stupidest shortfilm I have ever seen

[Hex_0mega · 1/10 · 21 December 2020]

In no way what so ever did this make even the most rudimentary amount of sense to me. I found nothing about it to be entertaining... Just stupid and nonsensical to an annoying degree. There is not any semblance of explanation as to what the heck is going on or why. I was left questioning what I had just watched... I have no idea if it was supposed to be aliens or what. Also in complete shock at how high of a rating it has. Meh... To each their own I guess, but I personally wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

How we view gender

[Johannaaaaa · 9/10 · 26 November 2021]

Im going thru zizek right now and i thought about how female agression is often repressed and that off-putting vibe of her was her literally doing things the same way. The off-putting vibe about her was eye-contact, which has to do with the male gaze and thinking being looked-at is the passive role of the female, but not the active perpetrator.

The house that jack built inspo?

[tatevlondon-15218 · 5/10 · 4 November 2021]

I couldn't stop thinking of "The house that Jack Built" while watching this short. The choice of music, Matt dillon himself who appears in both everything looked somehow familiar.

Do you have the time?

[dontnod · 8/10 · 2 April 2023]

So goes the first lines in Yorgos Lanthimos' odd little 2019 short: "Excuse me. Do you have the time?" The answer, at a runtime of 12 minutes is.... maybe? For fans of Lanthimos... Yes?

Nimic, like the title suggests, is slightly off, not quite right, not quite 'mimic,' and nothing here is quite resolved. Apart from, that is, a mood, a surreal little ride, a feeling of unease.

Father, the film's blank protagonist (tricky ground here), meets a woman on a subway, only to find himself followed, 'Mimicked,' and the absurdity of this, like in many of Lanthimos' films, is accepted by his family.

So perhaps too should the viewer when watching Nimic.

"Nimic," Romanian for "Nothing" - is a word also present in the film: from the way its characters fill voids, wear dull expressions; the film's narrative itself with no concrete answer. What should be expected here is the fun of the experimentation, the cinematography (a great camera whip), the soundtrack, and simply that.

A Yorgos Lanthimos Film!

[HadiAriyan07 · 8/10 · 27 July 2021]

All you need to know about this short is... it's made by the man himself Yorgos Lanthimos.