Film
In a Heartbeat
- Romance
- Magical realism
- Comedy
- Light-hearted
A four-minute animated short about a closeted boy whose heart literally escapes his chest to pursue his crush. It's pure visual storytelling—clever, tender, and funny without a word of dialogue. For anyone who's felt desire overpower caution, or loved a film that trusts its audience to read emotion in gesture and colour.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you love crush stories told through pure physical comedy, where a racing heart says what a closeted character won't, and you enjoy a sweet little joke that lands fast.
Skip it if you want a story with room to breathe; this is a quick, broad gag built on a single idea, and its jokes and feelings are stated rather than developed.
What it asks of you: Four minutes flat, with the whole arc squeezed into one fast, gag-driven rush; it wants your full attention for that brief burst and then it is over.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
Craig of the Creek2018
A show about kids navigating friendship, identity, and belonging with genuine warmth. Like *In a Heartbeat*, it finds profound humanity in small moments and never talks down to its audience about what matters.
But It's gentler and longer-form than a four-minute burst—if you want constant momentum, the episodic structure might feel slow.
Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake2023
Starts as silly cartoon nonsense, becomes unexpectedly moving about longing, identity, and connection. The same willingness to let emotion land without spelling it out.
But Gets darker and more serialized as it goes; early seasons feel disconnected from later emotional payoffs.
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power2018
A reboot that rebuilds itself around themes of belonging and self-acceptance, with characters whose desires and fears drive the story. Visually inventive and genuinely funny while being tender about what matters.
But The first season is uneven; it takes time to find its footing, and some episodes prioritize plot over character.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from In a Heartbeat
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
La Petite Mort 2: Nasty Tapes2014
Both are dialogueless animations that treat physical desire as a visual metaphor, using movement and colour to convey what words would flatten.
A wordless, three-minute French animated film about desire, vulnerability, and the terror of being seen. Uses abstraction and rhythm the way *In a Heartbeat* uses chase and colour—emotion as pure cinema.
But Very experimental; if you need narrative or recognizable imagery to anchor yourself, this will feel opaque and frustrating.
More like this (7)
Amphibia2019
A show about a girl trapped in a frog world that quietly explores identity, loyalty, and what you're willing to risk for connection. Uses comedy and adventure to earn its emotional moments.
But The animation is deliberately simple; if you want slick visuals, this will feel like a step down.
The Owl House2020
A fantasy adventure genuinely interested in its characters' inner lives—particularly how they navigate fear and desire. Funny, queer-friendly, and unashamed about what it cares about.
But Cancelled before its intended ending; the final season is rushed, which some find unsatisfying.
Steven Universe2013
A show built on the idea that love and acceptance are worth fighting for. Visually distinctive, uses music to convey feeling, trusts you to understand subtext.
But Very long, and some early seasons feel repetitive; the pacing is glacial if you binge it.
Heartstopper2022
A British teen romance about two boys discovering connection. Sweet without being saccharine, funny without mocking its own sincerity. Genuinely captures the nervous joy of early attraction.
But If you find earnestness cloying, the show's refusal to be ironic about romance will grate.
Arcane: League of Legends2021
Visually stunning animation that uses colour and movement the way *In a Heartbeat* does—to convey emotion before dialogue arrives. Characters driven by desire, fear, and loyalty.
But Based on League of Legends lore; if you don't care about the game, some plot beats land as arbitrary.
Infinity Train2019
A surreal animated anthology about characters confronting themselves. Each season is a contained story about identity and acceptance, told with formal invention and real emotional stakes.
But Deliberately strange and dark for a Cartoon Network show; if you want clear plotting and easy answers, this will frustrate you.
Carnival of Souls1962
Both use purely cinematic language—rhythm, colour, music, and movement—to express what's happening inside a character, trusting the audience to read it.
A low-budget 1962 horror film that uses visual abstraction and organ music instead of dialogue to create dread and displacement. Proof that inventive filmmaking can convey complex emotion without words.
But It's a dark, unsettling film about alienation; nothing like the warmth of *In a Heartbeat*. The budget shows, and some will find it tedious.
People
Cast
Nick AinsworthVarious (voice)
Kelly DonohueVarious (voice)
Directing
- Beth DavidDirector
- Esteban BravoDirector
Writing
- Beth DavidWriter
- Esteban BravoWriter
Production
- Paul DownsConsulting Producer
- Sean McLaughlinConsulting Producer
- Lara ArikanProduction Manager
- Álvar Carretero de la FuentePublicist
- Benoît BerthePublicist