Why 1, 2, 3, All Eyes On Me Was Trending On TikTok (& Where To Watch The School Shooting Short Film)
William Smith
Published Mar 29, 2026
1, 2, 3, All Eyes on Me is a short film about a school shooting that was trending on TikTok. Here's why it so much attention, and where can watch it.
Summary
- "1, 2, 3, All Eyes On Me" is a trending short film on TikTok that portrays a realistic and intense school shooting, drawing attention and mixed reactions.
- The film's realistic depiction of a school shooting has resonated with many TikTok users, who expressed sadness and frustration about the prevalence of such events.
- "1, 2, 3, All Eyes On Me" is available to stream on Max, accompanied by a featurette that provides behind-the-scenes insights and highlights the film's commitment to realism.
While movies that trend on TikTok are not exactly a new phenomenon, not many of them are quite like 1, 2, 3, All Eyes On Me. 1, 2, 3, All Eyes On Me is a 15-minute short film directed by Emil Gallardo that follows a teacher named Ms. Leena (Farelle Walker) whose life completely changes when a school shooter invades her elementary school campus. Ms. Leena does everything that she can to protect her students from the intruder while also attempting to remain calm and strong for herself.
The short film was released in 2020 and won various awards and prizes at various film festivals like Austin, Magnolia Independent, New York Latino, and Pasadena International. However, 1, 2, 3, All Eyes on Me appears to have a split reaction amongst audiences because while it has an 8.0/10 rating on IMDB, it has an audience score of 57% on Rotten Tomatoes. This may have to do with the short's disturbing subject matter, which is a big reason why it garnered a lot of attention on TikTok and quickly became a trending movie on the app.
30 Best Short Films To Watch On Netflix Right Now (December 2023)
Netflix's short films are vastly underappreciated, and there are some unmissable hidden treasures among the streaming service's collection.1, 2, 3, All Eyes On Me Was Trending On TikTok For Being Disturbingly Realistic
On May 16, 2023, a TikTok user by the name of ukclip4u uploaded a series of clips from 1, 2, 3, All Eyes on Me that showcased some of the most intense and heartbreaking moments from the short film. These clips immediately trended on TikTok as many on the site commented how disturbingly realistic 1, 2, 3, All Eyes on Me is in portraying both a school shooting and the fear one experiences when undergoing such a horrifying event. Many commenters on these clips also expressed sadness and frustration because the film reminded them of just how common school shootings are in the United States.
1, 2, 3 Is Available To Stream On Max
Not only is 1, 2, 3, All Eyes on Me available to stream on Max, but the streaming service also provides a featurette about the making of the short film that includes behind-the-scenes footage and interviews from Emil Gallardo. In the featurette, Gallardo states that all the kids who play students in the film have participated in active shooter drillers at their schools.
Gallardo explains that he did this because he wanted to depict a school shooting as realistically as possible. It's a testament to his skilled direction and the cast's acting abilities that they accomplished this so well the short film was trending on TikTok, but is also a disturbing commentary about the prevalence of gun violence in schools.
