Playing God (2025)

-Written by Kyle Bain. 

2025 TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW!

In the dark shadows of a workshop, a clay sculpture comes to life. As he seeks purpose and freedom, he quickly realizes that he’s surrounded by the grotesque failures of his creator. As the sculpture tries harder and harder to escape, Playing God presents viewers with an increasingly intense narrative that transcends mankind. 

Playing God means nothing if you’re unable to look beneath the surface and attempt to understand the deeper meaning engrained in the narrative. This film is far more than a sculptor bringing his medium to life, it’s a strong representation of free will, of our ability to make decisions. Beyond that, it’s telling of modern culture and our frequent inability to accept things that are different. Playing God inserts social commentary into every fiber of its being, and it does so effectively. There’s no moment when I questioned the validity of the insertion of social commentary, nor a moment when I felt that it was out of place. Playing God is a brilliant example of how to create a film with political and societal undertones. 

The score provides a sense of urgency and desperation that transcend the entirety of Playing God. In a film so short, I have often found that the score doesn’t have enough time to develop, nor does it need to. With the pacing of a film that clocks in at around ten minutes, there is often more than enough going on that musical accompaniment isn’t often a necessity. Playing God manages to inject a powerful score that not only effectively supplements the narrative and harrowing visuals, but acts as a prominent focus as well. Director Matteo Burani uses this score to exacerbate a dark, meaningful story. 

Playing God is stop motion at its best, as it presents powerful images that often seep into the realm of horror. While the primary focus of the film is social commentary, these small clay figurines become visually horrifying, catapulting the film forward into something that manages to transcend and blend genres. The visuals are just as important as the aforementioned score, and it’s clear the attention to detail present in each of these aspects of the short film. Burani is meticulous in his development of Playing God, and each and every second of this film thrives as a result. 

Realistically, there is only so much that can be done in an incredibly short film about a clay sculpture, and Burani squeezes every ounce of potential out of it with equal parts grace and aggression. Playing God flows smoothly from place to place, while being brilliantly supported by both a powerful score and grotesque visuals. The message present in Playing God is made abundantly clear in the opening seconds, and the film carries this through until its closing seconds. 

Directed by Matteo Burani. 

Written by Matteo Burani & Gianmarco Valentino. 

9/10 = DROP EVERYTHING AND WATCH IT NOW