If Anything Happens I Love You is a short movie recently released on Netflix that brings awareness to the tragedies of school shootings, along with the lasting emptiness it leaves families with. Despite only being 12 minutes long, the film manages to bring people to tears. Through its subtle messages, black and white scenes, and emotionally triggering music, every second of the movie keeps your eyes glued to the screen.
The characters are drawn as stick figures with little to no detail, making them relatable to a greater audience. The deeper meaning behind this is that no matter what your life looks like or where you come from, your children could be stripped from you in the same heartless and horrific manner. School shootings are a universal issue that affect people from all backgrounds and the film does an incredible job of conveying this message. Another notable detail that contributes to the emotional wave viewers experience is definitely the music playing in the background, which shifts in volume depending on the scene.
Critics have given it a high rating so far, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 93%. It has been described as “simply but magnificently executed” (James Croot) and “a touching piece of work that examines the void left behind after a tragedy using a beautiful animation and translating an important message” (Daniel Hart). Younger teens around social media have further fueled the buzz on TikTok, where it’s become a trend to record yourself before and after watching it. Most are drenched in tears in the “after” clips.
It was very touching overall and conveys the impact of a huge issue we still face today. With its relevance and emotional appeal, it’s a movie I definitely recommend watching.