There’s a huge cult following for weird, trippy and surreal content and Ghost Dogs is sure to appeal to that crowd. The debut animated short from Denver-based filmmaker Joe Cappa, this Sundance Film Festival animated short selection blends nostalgia and fond memories of pets with something demented and disturbing. It feels pointed towards a small, niche audience, but is guaranteed to put off mainstream animation fans.
Photo Courtesy of Sundance Institute.
The animation style is evocative of the heyday of Klasky Csupo, which animated the first few seasons of The Simpsons before hitting their stride on the earliest days of Nicktoons. In particular, Ghost Dogs leans heavily into the style of Rugrats with the colors and textures of the house feeling like the Pickles family moved out and a weird, unseen family moved in. I was charmed and delighted by the visuals at the start of the short, but my love for it quickly waned.
Somewhere between a comedy and a very demented horror, Ghost Dogs starts out lighthearted enough. The home is scattered with remnants of a party and a new dog with a red ribbon around their neck plays with a tennis ball in a gated kitchen. A robotic vacuum cleaner gets to work on cleaning up the house as shadows cast on the walls reveal the silhouettes of other dogs. Throughout the home, framed photos and artwork celebrate deceased pets.
Those same pets materialize as ghosts, but not as they appeared in life. They have human arms and legs on a dog’s torso and their lips are missing, showing barred teeth at all times. The ghost dogs go about their business, not necessarily trying to scare the new rescue pet but almost inviting it into their world. As the short progresses, it gets darker and more twisted. In terms of what it leaves you to think about, it asks you to question the secret lives of the seemingly normal neighbors around you.
While some elements of Ghost Dogs are universally humorous, most of it is disturbing. Joe Cappa was inspired by discovering scary movies on TV as a kid and his own nightmares, which he now gifts to audiences. Ghost Dogs probably appeals to Donnie Darko fans, but I would be shocked if it ever reached a wider audience. For now, I’d say Pixar SparkShorts films like Out and Burrow have nothing to fear from Ghost Dogs when it comes to Best Animated Short nominations.
I give Ghost Dogs 1 out of 5 stars.