Movie · 2017 · Animation, Comedy, Romance · 4m · English
Curator score: 8.1/10 (76.6K ratings)
The Heart Wants What The Heart Wants.
Overview
A closeted boy runs the risk of being outed by his own heart after it pops out of his chest to chase down the boy of his dreams.
Ratings
Curator score: 8.1/10
IMDb: 7.6/10
Letterboxd: 3.98/5
TMDB: 8.0/10
Director
Beth David, Esteban Bravo
Production
Ringling College of Art + Design, Lente Curta+
Cast
Nick Ainsworth, Kelly Donohue
Curator Review
Verdict
A tiny, wordless animated romance that turns a simple crush into a vivid physical comedy. It’s sweet, emotionally direct, and notable for offering queer childhood tenderness without tragedy or cynicism.
Best for
viewers who want a quick, uplifting LGBTQ+ story
fans of expressive animation and visual storytelling
people looking for child-appropriate queer representation
audiences who enjoy sentimental, high-concept shorts
Skip if
you want a feature-length narrative
you dislike overtly cute or earnest storytelling
you prefer dialogue-driven films
you’re looking for darker or more complex queer drama
Overview
In a Heartbeat is a small film with an outsized emotional reach. In just a few minutes, it captures the panic, joy, and vulnerability of a first crush with a visual conceit that is both funny and instantly legible: the heart as a runaway accomplice. The animation is clean and expressive, and the lack of dialogue makes every gesture count.
Worth noting
What makes it resonate most is its gentleness. Rather than centering shame, danger, or trauma, it treats queer affection as normal, tender, and sweet. That choice gives the short a rare kind of warmth, especially for younger viewers or anyone who grew up without seeing that softness reflected back.
Bottom line
It’s not a deep or complicated work, but it doesn’t need to be. As a piece of emotional shorthand and inclusive storytelling, it lands beautifully. The result is a charming, memorable short that feels both universal and specific.
Top Letterboxd reviews
cinéfila... 🕯️ · 1012 likes
immediately after i watched this sweet, uplifting short, i heard a lady on tv saying she believes her son is "mentally ill" because he's gay. how can people be so fucking ugly and hateful? the only consolation is that her whole close-minded, bigoted, ignorant generation will die out soon, and gay kids will watch more films like this one and realize that the love they feel for people of the same gender is normal and beautiful.
⋆｡𖦹°⭒˚｡⋆emily (4★) · 902 likes
IMAGINE if ur heart actually exposed u like this??? bitch i'd honestly square up
Sally Jane Black · 717 likes
It's so rare that we get sweetness. We get tragedy. We get trauma. We get ostracized. We get, sometimes, some semblance of a victory, even. But we rarely get sweetness, tenderness, innocent love and joy. We rarely get our childhoods acknowledged, not like this. There's no abuse. There's no violence. There's very little humiliation, no more so than any other kid this age would go through, as far as we can tell. There's very little danger, no more than any other kid acting on a crush. There's very little drama. It's just cute. What a gentle little film.
52 project: 109/52
Wes (4★) · 490 likes
god i wish that were me
Vivian (4★) · 350 likes
yeah can we get uhhhhhhhh more positive and child-appropriate gay content in the future thanks!
this was ADORABLE