Horror Shorts Reviews for April 2022
Text © Richard
Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2022
Images from the
Internet
Filmmakers,
please note: usually, I do not review films (unless requested) that appear on
sites like Alter and Screamfest, because they have a known platform, which is
great, while I would rather focus on films with no sponsored online affiliations.
These films are not in ranked order, but rather alphabetically listed by first
letter.
The Dead
Record
Directed by Nate
Thompson
Novaland Films; Spooky
Films; Nate Thompson Videos
16:34 minutes, 2022
In Toledo, OH, a record and film store proprietor, appropriately named
Louden (the director), has just closed up and is restocking, when there is a knock
on the door and a mysterious stranger (Kenny Urban) with a wicked smile drops
off a package that contains an LP, with a warning. The vinyl is a rarity (only
50 pressed) and of course, it comes with a curse. The film flows quite well as
it swirls around the aisle of the store, following Louden and his friend Sammy
(Dakota Musarelli) as they talk. As a collector myself, the conversation
between the two feels very accurate, though the way Louden physically handles
the record, especially being a rarity, is shocking to me (no true collector
would handle a rare record by the vinyl, but only by the edges), but I digress…
I have to admit I had to watch it twice, because I kept getting distracted by
trying to see what were the albums in the cases, but that’s okay since the
story was interesting enough to watch both times. And the character of evil
here (Madeline Malice) is effective in the story. The ending was a bit obvious,
as are most horror shorts, but it leans more to the psychological as much as for
the shock values, which makes it a fun listen and watch. The soundtrack is
definitely dark metal, opening the film up with a blast, which was another nice
touch. I actually jumped at that. This is the second of Nate’s short films I
have seen, and I am duly impressed. I am looking forward to seeing his feature release
of Cult Affairs.
Full film HERE
Ignore It
Directed by Sam
Evanson
McMuffin Creative
6:33 minutes, 2021
A family’s home has a recurring and unwanted guest: a ghostly woman who
will kill unless she is ignored. The family does its best over the dinner table
to be as normal as possible while the spirit is among them. The parents and the
two children try their best but, you know… This is a pretty good thriller based
on more than one jump scare, and the effects are well done. A strong point is
the background music which is consistent (and, of course, dissonant), keeping
the mood going. There is obviously little background to the story other than
this is not its first appearance. I don’t know how they know to ignore it, but
that’s part of the missing exposition that really isn’t needed anyway, since
this is, after all, a short. Very effective with an excellent cast.
Full film HERE
Let Them Eat
Directed by LaShaunte Wade
Dark Creeds Productions
15:16 minutes, 2021
When Megghan (lanky Lauren Molina) and her husband Kyle (Roman Jacob Bolyen) has Kyle’s co-worker and mistress, Julie (Lindsay Miller) over for dinner, there’s a lot at – er – steak. Megghan is on the verge of opening a new restaurant and Kyle is a successful lawyer, with high aspirations for their lives to get richer and tasty. Things quickly get twisted and weird, but the film takes its time to unfold, relatively speaking for a short with three people, mostly sitting around eating and drinking. There are subtle events and conversations that tell the viewer that there is something off, but it is certainly not what one might be expecting, and that’s the fun of this piece. It paces itself well, and doesn’t try to rush anything. The visuals are pretty stark and the VFX are quite stunning, and does not rely on jump scares to be effectively horrifying. An actor, dancer, model, and chef, this is the director’s first film, and it shows an immense sense of talent and purpose. I look forward to her future work.
Full film HERE
Mother Father
Monster
Directed by Sean Breathnatch
Ego Productions
Ireland
9:06 minutes, 2019
https://www.facebook.com/MotherFatherMonster
A gothic tale about an energy drink? Well, the first part of that question
is accurate. Mr. Wolsey (Mark Lawrence) is hired at an Irish stately home (the
Charleville Forest Castle) to be a butler and tutor in the 19th Century. Upon
his arrival, the deeply dimpled and stern Lady Charleville (Irene Kelleher)
warns him, in Pandora Box/Bluebeard fashion, that he must never enter a
particular upstairs room. The film is highly atmospheric, as gothic films
should be, and the castle – even in a state of neglect – is reminiscent of the
setting of The Haunting (1963), full of turned wood staircases and musty
rooms. It’s mood and texture are quite stunning, and the editing is sharp.
While some of the story may seem obvious to anyone with a history of genre
films, there were still a few pleasant surprises that quite make this worth the
viewing.
Full film HERE
Poster: TBD
The Thing Next Door
Directed by Marcus
Kelly
9:22 minutes, 2020
A twenty-something (Bethany Russell) lives on her own in a nice house.
The people next door have mysteriously disappeared. And what’s that glowing red
light and slime trail that starts to show up in her house? In this dialogue-less
short, we don’t get to learn too much about the protagonist, who is the only
character in the film (other than a brief shot of a policeman played by the
director), shows lots of emotion, conveying how she feels well through her
facial expressions. The film is shot
quite beautifully (but what’s with the insects and toothbrushing so common in house-bound
horror shorts?), especially one transition between a drain and a full moon. From
the sounds of whatever the thing next door is, I was imagining it looks like a Cthulhu
kind of deal, as this almost comes across as a radio story for the eyes, with
the b-roll standing in for narration. Lots of use of both the filmmaker’s and
the viewer’s imagination. I quite liked this meat and potatoes release. Unfortunately,
I could find no poster, no photos of the film to include in the review. If I
get one, I will add it in later.
Full film HERE
Within
Directed by Rory Wood
16:42 minutes, 2021
A troubled couple, David (David Lewis) and Tegan (Lisa Chandler), are
walking through the woods around their house outside Vancouver when their young
teenage son, Ben (Ridley Havok McLeod), finds a spider-like creature about a
foot long near a den. This has a marked effect on David, as he starts staring
into space and drinking heavily at home. He seems to be either obsessed or
possessed by whatever is in that den, which we see in bits and pieces. As with
other cryptid forest creatures such as in Jug Face (2013), it must be fed,
as David goes all Jack Torrance. This is an excellent creature feature with
beautifully handled photography by Kyle Gherman (especially around the dinner
table). The film is long enough for the viewer to get a sense of the
relationships between the characters, and make them relatively real, rather
than just present. Totally enjoyable.
Full film HERE
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