Borrowed Time is a short film created by Lou Hamou-Lhadj and Andrew Coats. The film is filled with action, family, and the tough choices of life. WARNING: The short film contains some unpleasing graphics as well as hints at suicide.

PIXAR animation almost always revolves around a light-hearted, family-friendly short. Borrowed Time, a new animated short from PIXAR animators, is not that in the slightest.

Borrowed Time, a seven minute short film created by Pixar animators Lou Hamou-Lhadj and Andrew Coats, debuted on Vimeo on October 14, 2016. The two men with help from co-writer Mark Harris have been creating the short film for the last five years. The film follows a western sheriff as he reflects on one tragedy that has followed him his whole life. Unlike most Pixar shorts that tend to be light-hearted and kid friendly, Borrowed Time shows a darker, more mature side to Pixar animation.

The story revolves around an aged sheriff. In particular, it revolves around his visit to a canyon where a tragedy that haunts him occurred. With every step he takes, more of the devastating events of the past are revealed. As he remembers the accidents of the past, he is faced with a choice that many viewers may not be expecting, especially of an animated film.

Both Hamou-Llahdj and Coats are animators at Pixar, which serves as explanation for the vividly beautiful yet uncomfortably realistic animation. Though the background as well as the characters are clearly animated, the movement of their hair in the wind, their clothes as they step, or the dust as its kicked take the viewer out of reality and into the world of the film.

The animation follows the typical Pixar style, though there is one aspect that is slightly different: the characters speak. In many Pixar films featuring people, the characters don’t talk. However, in Borrowed Time, both the sheriff and the surrounding characters are given a voice that help to progress the story as well as immerse the viewer into the world more.

Hamou-Llahdj and Coats have been toying with the idea of creating a darker world for a short for many years, and with Borrowed Time they did just that. The beauty of the animation juxtaposes the grim theme of the story itself. The shootout scenes are full of action that help to balance out the pace of the story.

The plot of the story, however, is linear and predictable. After the beginning details of the Sheriff and his father are revealed, it is easy for the viewer to understand what will occur in the rest of the film. All of this being said, the beautiful meaning and scenery of Borrowed Time outweighs the predictability of the linear plot.

The film, though full of contradictions that show the beauty of the world, is not to be viewed by the light-hearted. The film shows the brilliant minds and talent of the crew who helped to create it. Borrowed Time may be full of melancholy, but the beauty of the animation and the story show the viewers how to find beauty in even the saddest moments in life.

All in all, Borrowed Time brings a new meaning to animation. With its beauty and mournful tone, the filmmakers have shown audiences all over that animated short films are not just for children. The film has already won seven awards, including Best Cinematography at the Fastnet Short Film Festival in 2016, and Best Animated Short at the Nashville Film Festival in 2016.

Though animated like it could be for kids, Borrowed Time should only be viewed by those with thick skin.