Horror Shorts Reviews: June 2021

 Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2021
Images from the Internet

 Horror Shorts Reviews: June 2021

 

Cult Affairs
Directed by Nate Thompson
6:23 minutes, 2021
It feels like this film is only a mere snippet of a longer story, but is still incredibly effective. A man, Mr. James (Nygel Sejismundo), is bound in what looks like a barn, and is being talked to by the “cult leader” (director Nate Thompson). The leader, in a deep, slow voice, explains that the man has crossed into an indiscretion that the cult he leads finds unfavorable. Honestly, you could have switched the story to be a mob boss and a rival and hardly changed much and it would still work, but I’m grateful for the choice the director took here. While the whole atmosphere is being set up, it’s a full minute before we hear any dialogue… well, monologue, considering the tape across the man’s mouth. The image is on the dark side, but for here it works beautifully to set the mood for the piece. The camerawork is well done, though the image is a bit grainy (I believe purposefully) like a VHS tape (an homage?). The two leads look very young here (even with Thompson’s numerous tatts), which makes this all the creepier. As with his previous and first short, “What Lives in the Dark” (2020), Thompson seems to have some common motifs, such as the dimness of the light, and old, scratchy 78 RPMs from over 70 years ago on the soundtrack (I’m guessing public domain). Anyway, as far as this new release goes, while I would love to see the full context of it in a feature, it really is worth the view.
Film is HERE 

 

Every Night I See Them
Directed by Ryan Godoy
5:27 minutes, 2021
Oh, you will see where it is going pretty quickly, and yet, the film is well worth the watch. A young man who is a recent widower is afraid to go to sleep because, well, see the title. A friend comes over to help him. That’s the simple premise that pays off well. Shot in wide screen, the director uses all of the time to build suspense for the end. And even if you do know what to expect for the inevitable jump scare, it looks so good.
Film is HERE 

 

Sinister Symbiosis
Directed by David Black
Dramatica Diablos
17:33 minutes, 2020
This Australian short was presented on the television series “Dramatica Diablos,” hosted by Count Funghoula (the intro and outro seen here, with the director/comic book artist as the Count; as a side note, I was amused by the name, as fongulo is Italian for “fuck you,” and no, I didn’t need to look it up as I grew up in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn). This is a beautifully shot film that relies heavily on body horror. We are given some title cards throughout that explains the basic psychology of what is going on here (e.g., Sadism, Masochism, Narcissism). We start off (don’t worry, I won’t give away much) with a man, David (again, Black), heavily chained to a chair while his extremely long-haired sister, Anastasia (Anastasia C. Kouloukas) does some truly horrendous things to him. Part of the fascination is the wonder of just how far they will go in their game. The film is quite graphic in its violence and body parts, but the SFX is nearly all spectacular. I definitely winced a few times, but really wanted to stick it out to find out what happens.
Film is HERE 

Smiling Woman 2
Directed by Alex Magaña
2:12 minutes, 2021
I really enjoyed the first “Smiling Woman” short from 2019 (reviewed and linked HERE), so when I learned that the director has started to make a series, I got very happy very fast. This one starts off right where the first one left off (though you do not need to see the first one to get it, I recommend it), with the same main actor, Ariel Fullinwider, as the Woman in Yellow seeks fresh victims in a new conquest. This one does explain a bit more of what happens when the Woman in Yellow meets her next victim. It short and entertaining as heck. The consistency of cell phones and jerky movements keeps the theme going well.
Film is HERE 

 

Smiling Woman 3
Directed by Alex Magaña
2:09 minutes, 2021
Again, this picks up where the previous one left off, with the continuation of the cast in the previous film. For this one, the Woman in Yellow v.3 literally strikes close to home, as a woman tries to avoid her in her own apartment. It is a bit reminiscent of the now iconic “Lights Out” from 2014 (reviewed HERE)  I am really enjoying this series, which is essentially a similar story told in different settings, that is well-linked by common actors.
Film is HERE 

 

Smiling Woman 4
Directed by Alex Magaña
3:27 minutes, 2021
This is the first of the series that has no one connected to the previous film, but nevertheless, the story stays consistent, so I’m good with it. This one stars the well-known Felissa Rose as a nurse named Angela (nod, nod, wink, wink). She is the target of the Woman in Yellow this time. But with a name actor, will the WiY win? Either way, as with the previous three, this one is definitely entertaining. The whole series is on YouTube, and worth the watch.
Film is HERE