content warning: grieving, gun violence, violence against children

A couple is not getting along. They sit silently at the dinner table while their memories and thoughts argue with each other in black silhouette against the white walls. They leave without speaking to each other to further grapple with their thoughts. A few moments later, it is revealed that they are grieving the loss of their only child and struggling to communicate in the wake of unspeakable tragedy.

“If Anything Happens I Love You” is a beautiful animated short film from writers/directors Will McCormack and Michael Govier. Artistic director and animator Youngran Nho creates this beautifully expressive world in the contrast between solid shadows of the past and the barely toned world of the present.

This is a challenging short film to watch because of the subject matter. It would be irresponsible not to mention that the story deals with school shootings. Mercifully, nothing is shown of the event, but you hear the gunfire. You are given time to brace yourself for that moment as the plot of the film is carefully laid out and considered.

Here’s the thing. It is so easy for media about school shootings and violence against children to be exploitative. It’s quite a challenge for it not to be.

In the United States, it is a serious problem that only declined this year because schools switched to remote learning because of Covid-19. Our children and our educators now have to practice multiple versions of drills just in case one of these events happens in our buildings. Have you ever seen 30 children hiding in pure terror because you have to take time out of teaching multiple times a month to practice what to do if someone is trying to kill you? I have. I still have nightmares about it and I haven’t been a traditional classroom teacher in over two years.

“If Anything Happens I Love You” is focused on the parents’ inability to do anything to change the past. They’re not getting along in the present because everything is different. There’s a beautiful montage of the couple revisiting all their wonderful memories with their daughter: her birth, eating her favorite meal, going on vacation, playing soccer. Then, the shadows of their past try everything they can do to stop their daughter from entering the school and are powerless. There is no way to change the past. She will never come home from school again.

While this is an emotional film, I did not once feel manipulated by the work. There are so many elements at play to make this feel, for lack of a better term, safe. The art style is expressive more than it’s realistic. Tense moments are broken up with happier memories and the inclusion of this sweet little inky cat playing in the house.

Most importantly, when the child is shown in the narrative, she is celebrated. Her life ends in tragedy, but she is not portrayed as a tragic figure. She is happy. She is loved. She has everything she could ever need until her life is taken.

This all comes down to knowing your role and responsibility in telling this kind of story. McCormack and Govier did a lot of research on how to tell this story.  They met with parents who lost their children to school shootings. They worked with the organization Everytown for Gun Safety, as well. “If Anything Happens I Love You” should be celebrated not just as an incredible short film but as a model for how to handle sensitive content with respect.

“If Anything Happens I Love You” is streaming on Netflix.

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