Short Circuit

Short Circuit has quietly become one of the more dependable comedies currently available in Australia on Amazon Prime Video, and in the US on Hoopla. The runtime earns every minute, with nothing here that feels like padding. A 7/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Ally Sheedy leads a cast with real comic timing. Available now on Amazon Prime Video — press play and find out why people keep recommending it.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, Short Circuit is worth clearing space for. The jokes in Short Circuit land because the characters underneath them are worth caring about. After a lightning bolt zaps a robot named Number 5, the lovable machine starts to think he's human and escapes the lab. Hot on his trail is his designer, Newton, who hopes to get to Number 5 before the military does. In the meantime, a spunky animal lover mistakes the robot for an alien and takes him in, teaching her new guest about life on Earth. Ally Sheedy and Steve Guttenberg lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 1986. Short Circuit earns its laughs from character rather than situation, which is why it does not wear thin the way pure farce tends to. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

Short Circuit is the kind of thing you put on in the background and end up fully watching. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. A contained runtime means every scene is doing real work. Ally Sheedy's comic timing carries it through its weaker moments. The kind of comedy you recommend to someone who claims they do not watch much.