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Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
My second film review at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival is Local Middle Schooler. It is a comedy short film intended for mature/ adult audiences with a runtime of eleven minutes and eleven seconds. Local Middle Schooler is written, directed, produced, shot, and edited by Sanjna Bharadwaj.
There will be spoilers in this review, as the title of this article suggests.
Plot Synopsis
According to the SXSW website, here is the synopsis for Sanjna Bharadwaj’s animated comedy short, Local Middle Schooler.
Anagha Narayan is your average eighth grader. She’s a people pleaser, she’s insecure, and she wants nothing more than to have clear skin. Her life changes drastically when she wishes on a fallen eyelash and her wish is granted: she has the clearest skin she’s ever had. When word gets out that Anagha has magic eyelashes, the people in her life guilt trip her into giving them up. More and more people wish for superficial and terrible things, and Anagha is unaware of the effects this has on herself and the world. After she’s forced to give up her final eyelash to the United States Army General, Anagha has a realization in the form of a pimple-covered singing cow. This is where the aliens enter.
SXSW
Discussion
Bharadwaj’s comedy short film is a neat watch. It has a simple animation style with a theme that is easy to follow. In addition to that, I admire the sculpting that is done for one scene; it is not often that I see blends in animation, so it was a nice touch here. The music that plays by the end is good well, and I think that is worth coming back for. It’s a collaborative creative effort from an excellent team of artists who should be commended for their work.
While SXSW’s synopsis (see above) gives most of the short film away, the plot twist is excluded here. It stares us right in the eyes — something that is present but not really foregrounded into the story. One scene that I do want to point out is the Cupertino Home Owners Association (HOA). They ask Anagha (Hanssen) to help wish for their middle school to continue being the top-ranked middle school in California so as for the other middle schools to not surpass it in any future lists. I do believe there is some issue when allowing for the education institution to become a part of the matter. Is the academic system failing us, or are we not working hard enough as faculty members and students?
Some of the wishes that the protagonist gives up her lashes for are not out of a wise place. In fact, there has to be a point where a good number of these wishes do not actually come true. As Anagha’s mother (O’Brien) says at the beginning of the short film, “If you believe it, it’ll come true”. I don’t think the army general (Wilson) is one to believe, and I find it unusual that pretty much everyone’s wish comes true whether they believe it or not.
The Crew
Ben Huff works on the sound design and re-recording mix of the short film.
Anya Martin, Catharine Ren, Dax Wong, Isabella Spadone, Jay Lee, Jennifer Nie, Kris Stanton, Matt Herring, Rebecca Payne, Stella Oei, Ty Wilson, and Vivian Le serve as guest animators.
Martin, Ayako Todo, Evangeline Chang, Fer Lozada, Lee, Justine Kwon, Kevin Alters, Stanton, Lee Witz, Liam Quinn Lopinto, Maria Jaramillo, Natalie O’Brien, Ollie Wollerman, Payne, Oei, Sumin Cho, Wilson, and Will Wibisono serve as the coloring team of the film.
Hannah Cosselmon, Spadone, O’Brien, Wollerman, Robyn Romain, and Wanci Hua serve as the background paint artists.
The music of the short film is done by Kanoa Ichiyanagi, Jay Lee, Ihsandincer, and Bobby Baritone.
The Cast of Local Middle Schooler
Isa Hanssen voices the female protagonist, Anagha. Natalie O’Brien voices her mom, while Jonni Phillips plays her close friend, Sneha.
Dave Owens plays a basketball boy. Colleen Sinclair voices the President of the Cupertino Home Owners Association. Ollie Wollerman plays the Peloton guy.
Ty Wilson plays a Mercury News Reporter and the Army General, while Bharadwaj plays a real estate agent, a mystic cow, an alien warlord, and an arbitrary dino.
Isabella Spadone voices a Christian Mag Reporter, while Kevin Alters plays a World News Reporter. Denise Peraza, Wesley Fuh, and Dax Wong voice wishers, while Liam Quinn Lopinto plays the breaker of news.
Wollerman, Wilson, Spadone, and Bharadwaj voice various walla.
Final Thoughts on Local Middle Schooler
I do believe that the main character, Anagha, takes many risks throughout the short film in order to be liked or paid attention to, some risks of which involve losing herself and her eyes bleeding from ripping the lashes from her eyes. She does forget what her mother said, or rather suggests, that wishes should be made when the lashes fall. To rip or pluck these hairs out by force is a huge abuse of power, and at her age, it could be something that becomes more of a detriment than it is a benefit not only to herself but to those around her.
With that said, I think there is a great deal in the concept of belief. Anagha’s mother is the person who gives her this idea, and I think that is the most relatable element of the narrative. Most, if not all, of us have parents who will say anything about nearly everything. There is a magic to words that is about as potent as the actions that are wrought. Does anyone realize that there is a process to success, or did we decide to short-circuit it to get to where we need to be?
Local Middle Schooler is a lovely comedy short film about what happens when you take advantage of your gifts. Is too much of a good thing a bad thing, or perhaps it would have been better if the protagonist never divulged her secret to anyone aside from her mother? I’m sure that her lashes will grow back out sooner so that Anagha can reverse what was done. All she needs to do is believe.
Local Middle Schooler screens at South by Southwest next week!
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Also, read my first review for SXSW 2022: Horse Brothers!
Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
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