A man recounts his life and all that he can remember of it as he prepares for his death sentence. His life hasn’t been perfect, but he’s optimistic that when he crosses over to the other side that he’ll finally have access to his other Ninety-Five Senses.
Tim Blake Nelson plays the one and only speaking character in this animated short–effectively causing him to talk to himself for thirteen minutes. He’s brilliant, constantly bringing emotion to life and providing viewers a way into Ninety-Five Senses. He’s the film’s catalyst, he’s the emotion in the film, he’s the reason that it thrives. The writing is stellar, the animation is beautiful, and just about everything else in Ninety-Five Senses is wonderfully constructed, but it’s Nelson’s delivery, his ability to capture every bit of emotion, that allows the film to thrive.
Speaking of the animation: it’s raw. It’s incredibly rustic and raw, yet it captures the emotion on the face of Coy (Nelson) throughout the course of Ninety-Five Senses. Viewers almost become part of this two-dimensional world as they follow this story, understand the emotion, and interestingly end up rooting for the man in prison.
To be able to write a character that is in prison and can win our hearts is an incredible feat, and Writers Chris Bowman and Hubbel Palmer do just that. There are absolutely films out there in which the veritable bad guy becomes the focus and viewers come to adore them–but Ninety-Five Sense is different. This film uses a massive twist about halfway through the film to let us know the exact situation in which Coy has found himself–and by that point we are already in love with him. It doesn’t matter his situation anymore, not in the sense of whether or not we are able to enjoy him–and, from start to finish, Ninety-Five Senses delivers waves of emotion via a truly spectacular character.
Ninety-Five Senses made me want to break down and cry–it also made me realize that this was okay. I wanted to cry, I wanted to feel along with Coy as he inched toward his death–and had I not fought back those tears (simply because I was sitting at my desk at work), I think I would have broken down. To hear someone recount their days through each of their five senses means more than talking about the things that they once owned, or the experiences that they have gone through as a whole. Creating a complete understanding of Coy’s life allows viewers to better appreciate him, and with the hard-hitting emotion that came toward the end of the film, as Coy wondered if he had time to order ketchup, Ninety-Five Senses peaked–and I guarantee that it will find recognition down the road by anyone willing to watch.
Directed by Jared Hess & Jerusha Hess.
Written by Chris Bowman & Hubbel Palmer.
Starring Tim Blake Nelson.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
