Who?
The main character in this short film is the anthropomorphic creature who has a fascination with plants, most likely what the title “Varmint” is referring to.
What is happening?
The story starts off with the “varmint” observing plants and relaxing underneath a tree in a grassy field, when an army of creatures just like the varmint start raising countless gray buildings, eventually killing all of the greenery in the area. The varmint manages to take just one branch off of the tree before it dies, and goes through a lot of trouble to keep it alive as he starts working amongst the others in the dark city. One night, small glowing orbs grow on the plant and float off, landing on buildings around the city. As the days pass, the city gets sicker and the orbs grow bigger until one day, when it seems that the state of the city couldn’t get any worse, the orb become floating jellyfish-like creatures and start picking up the habitants of the city with their tentacles. It seems chaotic at first, but the varmint soon realizes that once picked up, they will be placed in a nicer place, where they can reunite with their loved ones.
When?
It’s not established when in history this story takes place, but one thing about the time frame is that many things happen within a very short amount of time. The story is full of symbolism, and it seems as though it tells the story of industrialization but in a figurative and concise way.
Where?
The place where the story takes place is at first a sunny, wide, seemingly utopian green field full of various plants and insects, but it turns into a dark, crowded city full of polluted air.
Why is this happening?
From the film itself, it is unclear why any of these things are occurring, but it can be inferred that the events refer to the industrialization of nature, which is something that is caused by humans being greedy.
How does it end?
It ends with the varmint, exhausted, being picked up by the glowing jellyfish-like creatures, waking up inside in the utopian grass field, and realizing that the girl from the lower floor and the plant that it took care of are also there. Outside, things that resemble dandelion seeds can be seen raining down on the city and seemingly making it better.
What’s the Theme?
The theme of this short film is the excessive and rapid industrialization of the earth, the consequences that come with it, and the way making an extra effort to take care of nature can make a large difference.
