SPOTLIGHT: 'World of Tomorrow' and the Work of Don Hertzfeldt
A special recommendation for one of our greatest working storytellers.
World of Tomorrow: Episodes 1-3 - 2015-2020 - Short Film Series - Directed by Don Hertzfeldt - Animation, Comedy, Sci-Fi - G - 1h 12m
This is a special spotlight article for Don Hertzfeldt and his latest series of animated short films, World of Tomorrow. But I’ll have to admit, writing about World of Tomorrow has been extremely challenging. Every time I move to describe it, I feel like I’m cheapening his transcendent work. There’s a rhythm and energy to it that eludes literal description. He’s an artist who still knows how to play with child-like joy and World of Tomorrow’s creative fervor is spilling over at a speed my typing can’t capture. It’s something you have to experience for yourself. But since these shorts need to be bought or rented, I realize it’s a hard sell. Let me guide you through some of his free, older work to make the jump easier.
Hertzfeldt’s stories have lingered with me ever since college. When I first watched Rejected — his breakthrough short film — I knew something great was happening. The sense of humor was absurd and the stick figure style was instantly charming. It also happened to be a mind-bending way to depict an existential crisis. By literally crinkling, tearing, and folding the paper on which his characters were illustrated, he was able to tell the story of an artist’s gradual mental breakdown through the destabilization of his drawings. Plus, it was anti-commercial and anti-corporate. As a young, liberal college student, I couldn’t have asked for more.
Rejected is available for free on YouTube:
After the release of Rejected, Hertzfeldt continued to carve his own path as an independent animator — turning down every commercial offer along the way. He re-entered my life with a moving collection of episodic short films, now collectively known as It’s Such a Beautiful Day. Expanding on his themes of mental deterioration, he explored a single character, Bill, whose rapid memory loss sends him on a journey to rediscover the beauty of everyday things. The balance of comic absurdity and crushing tragedy was lovely, and Hertzfeldt had again cemented himself as a must-see artist.
Part 1 of It’s Such a Beautiful Day is available for free on YouTube:
And that brings us back to World of Tomorrow.
Told in three short episodes, with potentially more to come, Hertzfeldt’s ambitions have gone cosmic. Taking on concepts of cloning and time-travel, World of Tomorrow explores two of humanity’s deepest vulnerabilities — our inability to cope with loss and our fear of a meaningless existence.
The first episode starts with an adorable little girl, Emily, who is contacted by her clone from the far future. The clone transports Emily forward in time to give her a short tour, opening the floodgates to a rush of science fiction ideas. What happens to humanity when cloning becomes commercially available? What happens to the lower class who can’t afford it? In a world that’s always pining for the past, will we ever exist in the present? It’s deep, philosophical, and moving. But also very funny. It helps that little Emily is unbearably cute.
Voiced by Hertzfeldt’s then four-year-old niece, her unscripted responses are genuinely spontaneous and get the biggest laughs. She is the perfect counterbalance to the clone’s robotic detachment. The clip below perfectly captures this relationship:
Floating around Emily is a world full of abstract textures and bold colors, like a vivid dream projected onscreen. Every frame, every motion, and every flicker of the characters’ eyes are as richly expressive as the story itself.
World of Tomorrow is vast, but it never feels clumsy. With each episode, Hertzfeldt continues to push his boundaries, culminating in a third entry that uses cinematic camera movements for the first time — accommodating a sweeping story that spans multiple timelines. When everything clicks into place, you realize you’ve been guided by someone who knows exactly what they’re doing.
Through his fearlessly unique style, Hertzfeldt has managed to build a little island for himself — undisturbed by market research or corporate meddling. From here, he’s free to paint the human experience in its entirety — the pain, the beauty, and the laughs — with just a few stick figures.
If you’re ready to dive in, here are all the links you’ll need:
World of Tomorrow - Episode 1 — Vimeo Rental/Purchase
World of Tomorrow - Episode 2 — Vimeo Rental/Purchase
World of Tomorrow - Episode 3 — Vimeo Rental/Purchase
It's Such a Beautiful Day (Full Version) — Vimeo Rental/Purchase
'It's Such a Beautiful Day' and 'World of Tomorrow' Blu-Rays
Don Hertzfeldt's YouTube Channel — I didn’t mention this in the article, but check out Lily and Jim while you browse around. It’s a hilarious story about an excruciatingly awkward blind date.
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