Three

The scouts

Three does the immigrant family drama thing, which is fine, but it doesn't subvert the form — it leans into the tender melancholy everyone expects, and I kept waiting for it to snap or twist into something that made me uncomfortable in an interesting way.

Song demonstrates formal control in how the birthday gathering functions as both intimate and performative space, and the film sits thoughtfully within the lineage of queer diaspora cinema, though it doesn't quite remake the tradition it inherits.

The genius move here is how Song lets the camera linger on the mother's micro-expressions during the church friends scene — one held glance, no dialogue, and suddenly the entire weight of translation and secrecy lives in her face, which is exactly the kind of economical performance choice that transforms a modest premise into something devastating.

Reviews

As Amie Song demonstrates with her Cannes-selected short Three, quietness can be just as powerful. A deeply reflective film that places as much importance on silence as dialogue and on everything left unsaid, its most dramatic moment may arrive in the form of a kiss, but it's the kind of film you won't be able to shake, long after watching.

Song keeps the focus on the three women affected by this seemingly normal visit and the chatter is mostly kept off screen as everyone works together. Three is captivating with how it makes the simplest moments feel like they could bring on the end of the world.

Festivals

• Cannes Film Festival 2024