Happy Thanksgiving!
2026 · 2m
Directed by Jackie Manke
Genres: animation, comedy, family
A group of animals prepare a meal for Thanksgiving dinner.
Picked by Zoe
The scouts
A two-minute animal Thanksgiving setup sounds like the kind of saccharine family content that puts me to sleep, but I'd need to see what twist Manke actually buried in here—if there's nothing subversive lurking, this is exactly the kind of competent-but-forgettable premise I actively avoid.
The formal restraint of a two-minute runtime demands acute editing choices; whether Manke uses that constraint to build something with real compositional grace or just leans on cute animal anthropomorphism will determine if this sits alongside genuinely considered animation or slips into comfortable mediocrity.
In 120 seconds, one sound design choice or a single unexpected cut in the meal prep could elevate this from greeting-card animation into something with real personality—I'm watching for the moment Manke proves she's earned the premise, not just executing it.