One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six (2025)

-Written by Kyle Bain. 

Someone once said that life is like a box of chocolates. In One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, MiaoMiao finds that the rare treat, a box of chocolates, that she receives carries with it mystery, adventure, and more. As she clings to this symbol of promise and freedom, she learns so much about the challenging, yet beautiful world in which she lives. 

Using rough animation, Director Yingdan Lai poignantly displays the simplicity of life. Yet, when those rough sketches are woven together, they create something more complex, just as effectively presenting viewers with something accurately representative of the real world. Within this juxtaposition, Lai develops something both direct and mysterious. How does a box of chocolates truly represent the plights (and successes) of a boarding-school student, a young girl, and how does Lai create enough separation between this boxed treat and the cinematically famous one? Creating separation between the two seems to be the easier of the two feats, as One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six never directly comments on the chocolate, but rather allows those visuals to speak for themselves. Beyond the link to the variety present in life, the chocolate represents something simple and pure, much like MiaoMiao. Given the character’s demeanor throughout the course of the short film, it’s clear that she is pure of heart—a reminder of simpler times. 

While I appreciate the simplicity of One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six and the fact that it keeps itself reined in, refusing to overstep and become convoluted, I do feel that the film needed a bit more visual clarity. The rough visuals sometimes pulled me out of the narrative, as I struggled to make out exactly what was occurring before me. I’ve mentioned the roughness of the visuals present throughout, but they also move fluidly as well. The fluidity of those visuals often causes them to blend into something indiscernible. Those moments of One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six had me lost, incapable of fully grasping the content. 

One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six is a roller coaster in terms of its success. It’s a meaningful cinematic venture with seemingly endless potential. The visuals, however, sometimes become too difficult to decipher, and moments of the film are ineffective as a result. Lacking clarity to some degree, One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six does become something of a challenge—however, all in all, this is an effective short film steeped in incredible meaning. 

Directed by Yingdan Lai. 

6/10 = WATCH IT FOR FREE