Get You Better: Review

3rd July 2024

Get You Better: Review. By Christopher Patterson.

A Personal, Heartfelt, Short That Is One of the Best This Year

I was able to see a short film titled Get You Better, which has become a kind of fascination for me. You ever watch something and spend hours wondering how they could’ve done it. How could they do something so impressive? Are short films usually like this? Director Danica Jensen has led me to ask all these questions, as her short here is nothing short of one of, if not the, most marvelous short films out there right now, and for a variety of reasons, some of which I would hate to fully give away. Firstly, the bite of the script here is near flawless. No character talks in the cringe-worthy, realistic, but usually flawed way most shorts fall prey to of characters talking like they are being recorded on an old iPhone and background noises through the roof.

Here, the delivery and sound feel studio-reviewed and meticulous to an extreme degree. Even more, the feeling of a vision for this short shows up in every avenue, as Jensen’s direction and style are specific and well handled, comparable to an Ozu film in its intention and simple, yet poignant, execution of that said goal. It never jumps the shark or shifts in plot like some other shorts, where they sometimes take boldness over making a good film. If I sound repetitious, I should, as Jensen here writes like an essay. She has a starting point and an ending point, and they nicely connect. One might say I am pointing to this short film being “not like other shorts,” which is exactly what I am and not saying in the best possible way. It is like other shorts in how you would expect a nice short film to go, but unlike most shorts in how it delivers on that said goal. Even better is the personality and individuality Jensen brings to her script, which gives her direction a specific style. Simply put, she does what the best directors do. They are all over it in that when you see her style, it’s hard not to forget you are watching Jensen-directed work. Get You Better is a film that, overall, gets better with each passing rewatch, as it is a film that simply provides a good short to watch and nothing less.

Get You Better has kinetic energy in its direction that feels best summed up as “professional.” The sound is probably the best instance for discussing this. In most short films, you are usually stuck with awkward silence, cringe-worthy delivery, and dialogue that feels like it was made by some 10-year-old who discovered what a camera is. And also the fact that more shorts are, well, shockingly short, which makes the experience feel like either a rushed and bland TikTok video that only serves its purpose to fill in the algorithm or a slow, well written narrative that is, almost ironically, butchered in the final half with a rushed ending comparable to a series trying to end after cancellation. Well, no more, as Danica Jensen not only kills it in her performance but also as a writer and creative.

Acting-wise Danica Jensen really stings with a fast and quick-centered prowess that makes Get You Better worth a rewatch. While she is quick-willed and steadfast, there is a complexity that is well paced and shown in such quick succession that reveals layers to a more wholesome and natural side of her that feels documentary-like in its biting effect.

Get You Better is about sobriety, and within its short time span, Jensen powerfully handles it with some nice biting commentary. Most shorts on this topic would probably have the scene set in one place so as not to have to spread creativity and rely on generic, overly witty and embarrassing conversations to bring false realism. Jensen, on the other hand, provides a short film that flows like a actual film with how much characters move around and, while there are clear limitations likely due to budget and location, Jensen uses that to great affect in telling a short but ever engrossing story that never makes you ask when it is over.

Get You Better is a short film that demonstrates the power of strong creative execution. It is a representation that you don’t have to make a short with: the belief of pretentious innovation that doesn’t work well at all, action scenes that work better as a parody. Instead it has, for instance, quiet fun moments that aren’t quiet for the sake of being quiet but instead for telling a heartfelt narrative. Something missing from many short films. Never does Get You Better fall into exploitation of its themes or excessively in its story, but rather handles its topics elegantly and so precisely.

Designing and showing the world isn’t easy. In most shorts, you are hit with boring lightning and ugly design where, to put it simply, “nothing stands out.” It feels as though no consideration is given in many short films for things, like, for instance, “a red shirt might look better than a blue one with consideration to the background and other characters’ attire.” It is, you could say, a continual issue plaguing short films. Get You Better’s creatives, wonderfully, feel like stylists themselves, with the world here and the designs popping and always eye-catching. Never does a shot look boring and rather like one you would see on the most nicely shot and designed short film’s list from some list maker magazine.

A nice little thing about Get You Better is the inspiration. The reason why the direction by Jensen works so well is how she wears her inspirations so majestically, in that almost every shot tells you a million words as to not just the intention but also the wide-ranging and varied influences she continues to display. The writing feels unquestionable and ever-running, to the point where you can draw on dozens of directors for small, specific scenes that might seem, at first, like simple-shot scenes, but film itself is a medium of influence. I live by the truth that we are a sum of our influences, and the world shapes us. Jensen’s direction embodies that belief clearly and flawlessly.

One of the greatest aspects of Get You Better is that it feels as though it can work as a feature film and as a short film. It is executed so well and nested up that it works brilliantly for both mediums, and hopefully we will see a film version of it one day, as it is quite spectacular.

If I had to describe Get You Better, it is a short film that takes notice of its time to tell an honest and relatable story that fits its constraints and feels wrapped in a bow in its effectiveness. Even the slight bits of comedy are effective throughout and feel well planned.

VERDICT

Get You Better is a short film that, from the first couple minutes, makes its plot and intention clear and never lets one forget. If I had to pinpoint the power and energy behind this short, it is how precise the filmmaking is here. The plot is solid and tells an emotional and to-the-point story that recognizes its length and uses it effectively, but what grabs me about this short is how just, honestly, wonderful it is. Most shorts don’t sound like they are made with a Hollywood production in regards to sound and acting ability, but here, Jensen shows off her talent on and off screen as a tour de force. I see Get You Better as not just solid work that stands head to head with some truly great shorts, but also as a piece of ability. While Jensen’s ability here feels devoted to the short narrative, what’s key and what’s important about many short films is the illustration of potential more than execution.

That is even why most short films fall so short. The demonstration of potential rather than ever just doing it. There is a line Jensen has of showing both a marvelous short story and making one constantly curious as to where her career could go. In short, Get You Better is a fantastic display of a possible force to be reckoned with, hopefully, coming to Hollywood, and a simple display of a film that respects its limitations and follows through neatly on its concept. I would compare it to that one student back in school who seemed to always understand the assignment and follow through so neatly that even if you don’t like them, you almost had an undeniable respect for them. Get You Better is a triumph. And a real good one.

4.5/5

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