5 Amazing Short Science-Fiction Movies Available On YouTube

5. The Gift

The Gift takes place in a rather oppressive and greyish environment that wakes up memories of City 17 and Half-Life 2. Even the guards look similar to the Combine. Leaving the first impression aside, there is a lot of interesting technology to be glimpsed here, even before we encounter the robotic servant. What did the guards do to the courier/assassin with that tongue probe? What kind of drop-ship was that in the background. And the robotic cat? Looking great so far.

It doesn't feel like a regular SF. It's a bit more down-to-earth kind of universe and the geeks in us are probably gonna be able to appreciate this alternative look on the city of tomorrow. Most importantly, it does look rather realistic. Something that our civilization might be able to pull off in foreseeable future. Surely the limited budget had something to do with that, but hey, it works.

After following the man with the sinister face for a while, we are treated to a rather interesting robot. With all those markings and ornaments, it's obvious that this is a wealthy house, and that the machine serves a rather high purpose in it. The head of the family knows the courier, and knows what's in the package (a "unicorn"). Even though we are never treated to any additional information about the ominous box, it is clear that the thing is extremely important and reacts to certain DNA. Since the assassin bit a tad more off than he could chew (read: was killed by a damn bus), the robot picked up the box and made a run for it. At this point, it isn't entirely clear why is the government chasing him, but surely there's a higher motive behind all this.

One thing is obvious, though. They cannot have the box. After crashing into the police barricade, the police vehicles are Ladas for no discernible reason- the robot is wrecked but still proceeds to ditch the box while apologising for something. There is depth here, and many things that are left unsaid can be interpreted in many different ways. And that's what makes The Gift so good. What most movies cannot manage in a half an hour intro, it does in less than five minutes - to entice the viewer to think and imagine.