"Surprise!" is a 5.5-minute short film from Germany that had its 20th anniversary last year. It is an early career effort by writer and director Veit Helmer and lead actor Max Tidof may also be known to some, the female actress probably not. If you don't speak German, no problem as there is no dialogue in here. A man creates a most unusual chain reaction here for his girlfriend in the morning. I wondered throughout the entire film if he wants to kill her or is just a perfect gentleman? Something in between as we find out at the end. Anyway, chain reactions have been a popular subject for short films on many occasions and I cannot really see how this one would stand out compared to others. Obviously, awards bodies everywhere really loved it, but for me it was just not memorable at all. I give it a thumbs-down and don't recommend the watch.
Review of Surprise!
