Netflix debuted a quirky and heartwarming short film with a mere 16-minute runtime called John Was Trying to Contact Aliens in August. The streaming service doesnt often add short films so this was a welcome change-up.

In the early days of the pandemic, it felt like there was nothing but time. Now half a year into this, I have less patience and am grateful for any storyline that concisely offers a satisfying narrative arc. This no longer feels like a moment for slogging through four seasons of a show with long episodes heavy on B-plots and frustrating characters (looking at you, Halt and Catch Fire).

This is a moment for quick hits (but still not Quibis quick bites, never that ). As such, I figured I should look into the few short films on Netflix that are worth checking out.