Newton’s Cradle

Newton’s Cradle is an AI short by Jeff Synthesized that runs about seven minutes. FILE São Paulo describes it this way: in a dystopian future where time is stolen and turned into a commodity, a woman sets out to find the truth behind a system of control. A harmless-looking Newton’s cradle stands for human choices and the hope of restoring balance. The creator labels it “An AI Film” in the title. It won the Pioneer Award at the HKUST AI Film Festival 2025, and the full film is on the creator’s YouTube channel.

Who it's for:sci-fi viewers who like dystopian settings and stories about time and social control.

Before you watch: on YouTube, about 6 minutes 46 seconds. Eventive lists the language as English. We only sampled a few frames with the sound off and saw English text; we haven't checked whether dialogue and subtitles run through the whole film. No reuse rights are granted.

Based on the creator’s YouTube page, the FILE São Paulo archive and the HKUST award announcement. Watch the film itself for the full picture.