Vague Visages’ Manucure 24/24 review contains minor spoilers. Chloé Groussard and Julie Pacheco’s 2025 short film features themselves and Grégory Kristoforoff. Check out the VV home page for more film criticism, movie reviews and film essays.

It’s refreshing to experience a dynamite short film like Manucure 24/24. Written and directed by Chloé Groussard and Julie Pacheco (who also headline the two-minute production), the movie was produced for a super power-themed competition, and — full disclosure — it personally far exceeded my expectations during a first-watch. Manucure 24/24 betrays the formula of so many short film productions, as the filmmakers — who are genuinely believable as superheroes — fully embrace the task at hand with a vibrant color palette, a catchy needle-drop and an always-relevant feminist message.

Groussard, who made her feature debut opposite Joshua Burge in Alex Andre’s superb 2023 indie Pratfall, masquerades as a nail artist named Judy, whose lip piercing, fur coat and overall demeanor aligns with the style of Noomi Rapace’s Lisbeth Salander from Niels Arden Oplev’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009). During Manucure 24/24’s opening sequence, she’s front and center outside a buffet restaurant called “Le Royal Bambou,” with the colorful backdrop, along with a flashy red sports car, immediately establishing a vibe that contrasts with so many uninspired short film productions from America. In fact, Manucure 24/24 personally reminds me of Guillaume Campanacci and Vesper Egon’s 2023 French New Wave-inspired feature Whenever I’m Alone with You, as the filmmakers instantaneously make a statement with their production design. Moments after the short film begins, Judy and her business associate, Claudia (Pacheco), address a request for a “gel manicure,” which turns out to be much more than a standard nail job, as the protagonists are revealed to be vengeful women who target abusive men. Given the difficult subject matter, the filmmakers maintain an impressive tone, almost like they were partially inspired by Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) starring Uma Thurman or his 2007 film Death Proof featuring a bad-ass female cast.

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Groussard and Pacheco seem like they’re having the time of their lives in Manucure 24/24. And perhaps most importantly, they understand their appeal as actresses and what will catch the audience’s attention in just two minutes. The track “tmortprmoi” by CMARG bookends the short film, with the middle section essentially functioning as a day-in-the-life sequence for the main protagonists. If there’s a major critique to be made, it’s that the “Girl Boss” premise might not resonate with cinephiles and/or casual viewers who understand that feminism doesn’t always translate to “men are bad and dangerous,” though the overall messaging and filmmaking execution feels highly appropriate, as the protagonists not only help a woman in need, but also let her know that she won’t be abandoned. Also, Groussard and Pacheco avoid didactic commentaries during their short run-time, instead focusing on a simple message that cuts like a knife: “Where justice drags its feet, we act swiftly. No paperwork, no chatter, and above all, no chance of reoffending.”

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Beyond all the glitz and glamour of Manucure 24/24, the climactic twist adds another layer of depth. It might take a minute or two for festival audiences to grasp the concept, but that’s exactly what makes quality festival shorts so memorable — that final statement to keep viewers talking. In the case of Manucure 24/24, the movie-ending reveal will theoretically help with marketing and distribution opportunities, if only because Groussard and Pacheco make their point clear while leaving room for interpretation with an intriguing location shift. Don’t be surprised if Manucure 24/24 reemerges in the next five years as a full-length feature film.

Manucure 24/24 is currently screening on the festival circuit.

Q.V. Hough (@QVHough) is Vague Visages’ founding editor. Thank you for reading film criticism, movie reviews and film essays at Vague Visages.

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