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Short Films

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Spoiler-Free Film Reviews: “The Activated Man,” “Escalation,” and “Ron” (Romford Horror Festival)

THE ACTIVATED MAN (U.S., 2023) Writer/director Nicholas Gyeney’s feature The Activated Man is an interesting variation on the “shadow people” subgenre. The film goes all-in on its exploration of psychic power and supernatural forces. Leaning perhaps slightly more toward tugging at the heartstrings than delivering full-blown horror, the film does serve up a decidedly frightening new character in The Fedora Man (Edward Michael Scott), whose appearance should inspire cosplay and Halloween costumes aplenty. The Activated Man is loaded with ideas, perhaps almost too many for a single film, including a late reveal that I won’t spoil here. Unemployed Ors (Jamie Costa) is suffering from depression after the loss of his dog Louie to cancer, and his police detective significant other Sarah (Ivana Rojas) is supportive of him, while she herself investigates local cases of murder–suicides, an epidemic of which is sweeping the United States. Ors begins to see ghostly visions of Louie, as well as unwelcome appearances from The Fedora

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Joseph Perry
Feb 27, 2024

Spoiler-Free Short-Film Reviews: “The Foreboding: Fractured,” “Sour Milk,” and “Dolly Molly’s Playhouse” (Romford Horror Festival)

THE FOREBODING: FRACTURED (U.K., 2024) In director Kemal Yildrim’s short The Foreboding: Fractured, four university friends go camping in the woods, which is never a good idea when it comes to horror movie characters. Neither is telling scary stories by the campfire, but that happens here too. The elements are set for some forest-bound fear fare, and though I will avoid going into spoiler territory, suffice it to say that what the quartet runs afoul of is not a slasher nor a cryptid, but something of the supernatural variety. The ensemble cast — Eve Kathryn Oliver, Alexander Staunton-Hill (who also wrote the screenplay), Olivia Bennett, Peter Tilley, and Sienna Shih — all turn in fine performances playing believable characters, and Yildrim does an admirable job of setting an eerie atmosphere and building suspense. SOUR MILK (U.K., 2024) A homeless shelter offers a terrifying choice for a young woman in writer/director Joe Duncombe’s Sour Milk. Cassie’s (Molly Grainger) first night at

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Feb 22, 2024

Spoiler-Free Short-Film Reviews: “Nian,” “Days of Spring,” Mosquito Lady,” and “A Dire Strait” (Final Girls Berlin Film Festival)

Following are reviews of four of the offerings that screened as part of the 2024 Final Girls Berlin Film Festival’s Folk Horror short-film block. Nian Short chiller Nian (U.S., 2023), finds a Chinese American schoolgirl (Lauren Mei in a delightful performance) standing up to a racist bully with the help of a Chinese demon mask and the supernatural assistance of the titular mythological punisher of naughty children. Director Michelle Krusiec delivers a crisp commentary on racism and bullying that nails its fantasy aspects, with a nice amount of heart behind it. Days of Spring Writer/director Arianne Hinz’s Days of Spring (Netherlands, 2022) is a disturbing peek into the secretive world of a small group of young Dutch girls who surrender their individual wills to the group. Eleven-year-old Roos (Anoek Neervort) has invited her friend Ella (Maeve Hickey) to join the group but begins to question herself when the demands of the girls grows increasingly extreme, including animal sacrifice. Beautifully lensed

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Feb 13, 2024

Spoiler-Free Short-Film Reviews: “The Looming” and “Dream Creep” (Sundance Film Festival)

THE LOOMING So often in horror films the elderly are portrayed as scary or creepy subjects, something to fear, run from, or even kill. Occasionally, they are treated with more reverence and respect than usual in fright-fare cinema, such as in director Natalie Erika James’s Relic (2020). Writer/director Masha Ko’s new short The Looming is another such film that examines the plight of the aged and lonely, delivering heartbreak along with horror. Seventy-year-old Chester (Joseph Lopez in an absolutely amazing performance) begins to hear terrifying noises in his home, where he lives alone, and his fears are dismissed both at his job and by his adult daughter, who refuses to come to his home to discuss the matter. Something is indeed, as the title says, looming around Chester, though. Ko has crafted a superb-looking, emotionally charged work that draws attention to the importance of the fears of the elderly, and to how they deserve our attention. I give The Looming

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Jan 23, 2024

Spoiler-Free Short-Film Reviews: “Legend of El Cucuy,” “PU EKAW TNOD,” “Blockbuster,” and “Welcome to the Enclave” (Slamdance Film Festival)

Legend of El Cucuy Folklore horror meets problems of modern parenting in writer/director Cynthia Garcia Williams’ short film Legend of El Cucuy. Laura (Diana Sanchez) and Carlos (Effie Cacarnakis) are attempting to raise their young daughter Isabel (Obriella Genesis Witron) with as much freedom from rules at home and school as possible, but when the girl starts really acting up, Carlos attempts to straighten her out some by telling her the tale of El Cucuy, a ghostlike monster that kidnaps disobedient children, with origins in folk tales from Spain and Portugal. The short boasts great cinematography and a fine score, impressive performances, engaging direction, and impressive CGI and practical effects makeup work. It is certainly worthy of being expanded into a feature-length film. PU EKAW TNOD In writer/director Rebecca Culverhouse’s U.K. horror short PU EKAW TNOD, a young couple (Dorothea Jones and Harold Addo) watch a horror film together when they discover that they are suddenly in a dreamworld —

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Jan 23, 2024

Final Girls Berlin Film Festival Offers In-Person and Online Viewing for Its Ninth Edition

The FINAL GIRLS BERLIN FILM FESTIVAL proudly unveils its 9th edition, featuring a captivating array of horror cinema that includes nine feature films, twelve short film blocks, and a variety of horror-themed events and workshops led by international genre experts. This year’s program highlights queer horror narratives, digital dystopias, eco horror, folk horror, the absurd & surreal, and more. Scheduled from February 7-11, 2023, the festival will take place at City Kino Wedding and will also feature an online component for broader accessibility. Dedicated to elevating the work of women and non-binary filmmakers in the horror genre, Final Girls Berlin Film Festival has earned recognition as one of MovieMaker Magazine’s Top 50 Genre Festivals in the World and has been named among Dead Central’s The Best Horror Festivals in the World. This edition continues the festival’s tradition of challenging conventions and showcasing groundbreaking horror that pushes boundaries and sparks conversation. Watch our 2024 trailer here! FEATURE FILMS BOOGER Written and

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Jan 8, 2024

Short Film Review: Guest 2 (2023)

Remember like four years ago when I clued you beautiful cats n’ creeps in about writer/director Finn Callan’s sinister short Guest? Probably not, but click that highlighted text and you can catch right the hell up! Now that all of that biz is out of the way, let’s dive in to Callan’s follow up, the appropriately titled Guest 2; a longer (but still “short” in the “it’s not quite feature length” sense) deeper dive into the wicked world established in the frightful first go-around! Siblings Jill (Jennifer English) and Ethan (Simon Bigg) are tasked with setting up a support group confab, but E-Dawg has been shirking those responsibilities and sequestered himself in his room. Fed up with such bullshittery, Jill runs the group solo-style and becomes acquainted with with Mia (Natasha Biggs), a woman dealing with severe loneliness and isolation. Unfortunately for Jill, Mia hasn’t been suffering as all alone as she thinks… and soon the preternatural presence, the eponymous

Continue reading →
DanXIII
Jan 3, 2024

Spoiler-Free Short-Film Reviews: DOUBLE NICKEL, BIRTHDAY WISH, and 3:00AM (Another Hole in the Head Film Festival)

Double Nickel (U.S., 2023) Writer/director Mark Tomov’s short Double Nickel uses Johnny Burnette and The Rock & Roll Trio’s “The Train Kept A-Rollin,” known for its distorted guitar sound, and Tomov certainly keeps things rolling in the distorted world of his neo-noir/crime/horror mash-up short. Set mainly during Christmas season at The Hideaway Cafe, where the 1970s and 1950s blend together, the film finds a pair of criminals (Michael Spears and Jeff Medley) confronting the waitress (Gillian Todd) who hired them to kill someone — without her cluing them in that the target of their hit was no ordinary human. The vibe of Double Nickel is strong, with danger an ever-present feeling and no shortage of hipness on display. The three leads play off of each other wonderfully, and I don’t want to go into spoiler territory by revealing the target of their hit, so suffice it to say that the design is impressive and eerie. Tomov has crafted a colorful,

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Nov 29, 2023

Spoiler-Free Film Reviews: HOWDY, NEIGHBOR! and MYSTERIES OF THE DESERT (Screamfest)

Howdy, Neighbor! (2023) It’s former child star vs. stalker in director Allisyn Snyder’s Howdy, Neighbor!, which finds gay actor Benjamin Caldwell (Matthew Scott Montgomery, who wrote the screenplay), who as a youngster had a starring role in a sitcom about a farm boy named Bucky who moves in with relatives in the big city, finding himself in a reluctant situation as his manager insists he join a cast reunion on Zoom to kick off the show being repeated on a streaming service. Benjamin has been downplaying his association with the role, but his new neighbor Chase Mitchell (Grant Jordan) recognizes him and, in the first of many uncomfortable moments, calls him a liar and gets him to confess that he indeed is the actor who portrayed Bucky. Benjamin is best friends with neighbor Harley Walker (Debby Ryan), with whom he shares the news about Chase’s escalating weird behavior. She suggests that he contact a policeman named Marcus Lockamy (Sterling Sulieman),

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Oct 19, 2023

Short Film Review: ‘Gale Stay Away From Oz’

Right now, on the Chilling App, there’s a film that’s caught the eye of many after its trailer made quite a splash on the internet, a horror retelling of The Wizard of Oz. The short film titled Gale Stay Away From Oz by Daniel Alexander Films directed by Daniel Alexander and Stars Chloë Crump as Emily Gale. In Gale Stay Away From Oz, Emily is plagued by a recurring nightmare. Emily’s trying to make sense of these dreams as she’s grieving the loss of her mother. Emily then discovers she has a grandmother who is a successful author who wrote a book based on her dreams, and her grandmother’s name… Dorothy. The film itself is quite short, around 28 minutes long, so I’m giving some leeway here when it comes to the pacing of the story, stiff acting, and cheap-looking practical effects that kind of ruin the scares. I feel comfortable saying that because here’s the thing. As a storyteller,

Continue reading →
Daniel S. Liuzzi
Oct 18, 2023

More from Short Films

Spoiler-Free Film Reviews: “The Activated Man,” “Escalation,” and “Ron” (Romford Horror Festival)

THE ACTIVATED MAN (U.S., 2023) Writer/director Nicholas Gyeney’s feature The Activated Man is an interesting variation on the “shadow people” subgenre. The film goes all-in on its exploration of psychic power and supernatural forces. Leaning perhaps slightly more toward tugging at the heartstrings than delivering full-blown horror, the film does serve up a decidedly frightening new character in The Fedora Man (Edward Michael Scott), whose appearance should inspire cosplay and Halloween costumes aplenty. The Activated Man is loaded with ideas, perhaps almost too many for a single film, including a late reveal that I won’t spoil here. Unemployed Ors (Jamie Costa) is suffering from depression after the loss of his dog Louie to cancer, and his police detective significant other Sarah (Ivana Rojas) is supportive of him, while she herself investigates local cases of murder–suicides, an epidemic of which is sweeping the United States. Ors begins to see ghostly visions of Louie, as well as unwelcome appearances from The Fedora

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Feb 27, 2024

Spoiler-Free Short-Film Reviews: “The Foreboding: Fractured,” “Sour Milk,” and “Dolly Molly’s Playhouse” (Romford Horror Festival)

THE FOREBODING: FRACTURED (U.K., 2024) In director Kemal Yildrim’s short The Foreboding: Fractured, four university friends go camping in the woods, which is never a good idea when it comes to horror movie characters. Neither is telling scary stories by the campfire, but that happens here too. The elements are set for some forest-bound fear fare, and though I will avoid going into spoiler territory, suffice it to say that what the quartet runs afoul of is not a slasher nor a cryptid, but something of the supernatural variety. The ensemble cast — Eve Kathryn Oliver, Alexander Staunton-Hill (who also wrote the screenplay), Olivia Bennett, Peter Tilley, and Sienna Shih — all turn in fine performances playing believable characters, and Yildrim does an admirable job of setting an eerie atmosphere and building suspense. SOUR MILK (U.K., 2024) A homeless shelter offers a terrifying choice for a young woman in writer/director Joe Duncombe’s Sour Milk. Cassie’s (Molly Grainger) first night at

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Feb 22, 2024

Spoiler-Free Short-Film Reviews: “Nian,” “Days of Spring,” Mosquito Lady,” and “A Dire Strait” (Final Girls Berlin Film Festival)

Following are reviews of four of the offerings that screened as part of the 2024 Final Girls Berlin Film Festival’s Folk Horror short-film block. Nian Short chiller Nian (U.S., 2023), finds a Chinese American schoolgirl (Lauren Mei in a delightful performance) standing up to a racist bully with the help of a Chinese demon mask and the supernatural assistance of the titular mythological punisher of naughty children. Director Michelle Krusiec delivers a crisp commentary on racism and bullying that nails its fantasy aspects, with a nice amount of heart behind it. Days of Spring Writer/director Arianne Hinz’s Days of Spring (Netherlands, 2022) is a disturbing peek into the secretive world of a small group of young Dutch girls who surrender their individual wills to the group. Eleven-year-old Roos (Anoek Neervort) has invited her friend Ella (Maeve Hickey) to join the group but begins to question herself when the demands of the girls grows increasingly extreme, including animal sacrifice. Beautifully lensed

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Feb 13, 2024

Spoiler-Free Short-Film Reviews: “The Looming” and “Dream Creep” (Sundance Film Festival)

THE LOOMING So often in horror films the elderly are portrayed as scary or creepy subjects, something to fear, run from, or even kill. Occasionally, they are treated with more reverence and respect than usual in fright-fare cinema, such as in director Natalie Erika James’s Relic (2020). Writer/director Masha Ko’s new short The Looming is another such film that examines the plight of the aged and lonely, delivering heartbreak along with horror. Seventy-year-old Chester (Joseph Lopez in an absolutely amazing performance) begins to hear terrifying noises in his home, where he lives alone, and his fears are dismissed both at his job and by his adult daughter, who refuses to come to his home to discuss the matter. Something is indeed, as the title says, looming around Chester, though. Ko has crafted a superb-looking, emotionally charged work that draws attention to the importance of the fears of the elderly, and to how they deserve our attention. I give The Looming

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Jan 23, 2024

Spoiler-Free Short-Film Reviews: “Legend of El Cucuy,” “PU EKAW TNOD,” “Blockbuster,” and “Welcome to the Enclave” (Slamdance Film Festival)

Legend of El Cucuy Folklore horror meets problems of modern parenting in writer/director Cynthia Garcia Williams’ short film Legend of El Cucuy. Laura (Diana Sanchez) and Carlos (Effie Cacarnakis) are attempting to raise their young daughter Isabel (Obriella Genesis Witron) with as much freedom from rules at home and school as possible, but when the girl starts really acting up, Carlos attempts to straighten her out some by telling her the tale of El Cucuy, a ghostlike monster that kidnaps disobedient children, with origins in folk tales from Spain and Portugal. The short boasts great cinematography and a fine score, impressive performances, engaging direction, and impressive CGI and practical effects makeup work. It is certainly worthy of being expanded into a feature-length film. PU EKAW TNOD In writer/director Rebecca Culverhouse’s U.K. horror short PU EKAW TNOD, a young couple (Dorothea Jones and Harold Addo) watch a horror film together when they discover that they are suddenly in a dreamworld —

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Jan 23, 2024

Final Girls Berlin Film Festival Offers In-Person and Online Viewing for Its Ninth Edition

The FINAL GIRLS BERLIN FILM FESTIVAL proudly unveils its 9th edition, featuring a captivating array of horror cinema that includes nine feature films, twelve short film blocks, and a variety of horror-themed events and workshops led by international genre experts. This year’s program highlights queer horror narratives, digital dystopias, eco horror, folk horror, the absurd & surreal, and more. Scheduled from February 7-11, 2023, the festival will take place at City Kino Wedding and will also feature an online component for broader accessibility. Dedicated to elevating the work of women and non-binary filmmakers in the horror genre, Final Girls Berlin Film Festival has earned recognition as one of MovieMaker Magazine’s Top 50 Genre Festivals in the World and has been named among Dead Central’s The Best Horror Festivals in the World. This edition continues the festival’s tradition of challenging conventions and showcasing groundbreaking horror that pushes boundaries and sparks conversation. Watch our 2024 trailer here! FEATURE FILMS BOOGER Written and

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Jan 8, 2024

Short Film Review: Guest 2 (2023)

Remember like four years ago when I clued you beautiful cats n’ creeps in about writer/director Finn Callan’s sinister short Guest? Probably not, but click that highlighted text and you can catch right the hell up! Now that all of that biz is out of the way, let’s dive in to Callan’s follow up, the appropriately titled Guest 2; a longer (but still “short” in the “it’s not quite feature length” sense) deeper dive into the wicked world established in the frightful first go-around! Siblings Jill (Jennifer English) and Ethan (Simon Bigg) are tasked with setting up a support group confab, but E-Dawg has been shirking those responsibilities and sequestered himself in his room. Fed up with such bullshittery, Jill runs the group solo-style and becomes acquainted with with Mia (Natasha Biggs), a woman dealing with severe loneliness and isolation. Unfortunately for Jill, Mia hasn’t been suffering as all alone as she thinks… and soon the preternatural presence, the eponymous

Continue reading →
DanXIII
Jan 3, 2024

Spoiler-Free Short-Film Reviews: DOUBLE NICKEL, BIRTHDAY WISH, and 3:00AM (Another Hole in the Head Film Festival)

Double Nickel (U.S., 2023) Writer/director Mark Tomov’s short Double Nickel uses Johnny Burnette and The Rock & Roll Trio’s “The Train Kept A-Rollin,” known for its distorted guitar sound, and Tomov certainly keeps things rolling in the distorted world of his neo-noir/crime/horror mash-up short. Set mainly during Christmas season at The Hideaway Cafe, where the 1970s and 1950s blend together, the film finds a pair of criminals (Michael Spears and Jeff Medley) confronting the waitress (Gillian Todd) who hired them to kill someone — without her cluing them in that the target of their hit was no ordinary human. The vibe of Double Nickel is strong, with danger an ever-present feeling and no shortage of hipness on display. The three leads play off of each other wonderfully, and I don’t want to go into spoiler territory by revealing the target of their hit, so suffice it to say that the design is impressive and eerie. Tomov has crafted a colorful,

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Nov 29, 2023

Spoiler-Free Film Reviews: HOWDY, NEIGHBOR! and MYSTERIES OF THE DESERT (Screamfest)

Howdy, Neighbor! (2023) It’s former child star vs. stalker in director Allisyn Snyder’s Howdy, Neighbor!, which finds gay actor Benjamin Caldwell (Matthew Scott Montgomery, who wrote the screenplay), who as a youngster had a starring role in a sitcom about a farm boy named Bucky who moves in with relatives in the big city, finding himself in a reluctant situation as his manager insists he join a cast reunion on Zoom to kick off the show being repeated on a streaming service. Benjamin has been downplaying his association with the role, but his new neighbor Chase Mitchell (Grant Jordan) recognizes him and, in the first of many uncomfortable moments, calls him a liar and gets him to confess that he indeed is the actor who portrayed Bucky. Benjamin is best friends with neighbor Harley Walker (Debby Ryan), with whom he shares the news about Chase’s escalating weird behavior. She suggests that he contact a policeman named Marcus Lockamy (Sterling Sulieman),

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Oct 19, 2023

Short Film Review: ‘Gale Stay Away From Oz’

Right now, on the Chilling App, there’s a film that’s caught the eye of many after its trailer made quite a splash on the internet, a horror retelling of The Wizard of Oz. The short film titled Gale Stay Away From Oz by Daniel Alexander Films directed by Daniel Alexander and Stars Chloë Crump as Emily Gale. In Gale Stay Away From Oz, Emily is plagued by a recurring nightmare. Emily’s trying to make sense of these dreams as she’s grieving the loss of her mother. Emily then discovers she has a grandmother who is a successful author who wrote a book based on her dreams, and her grandmother’s name… Dorothy. The film itself is quite short, around 28 minutes long, so I’m giving some leeway here when it comes to the pacing of the story, stiff acting, and cheap-looking practical effects that kind of ruin the scares. I feel comfortable saying that because here’s the thing. As a storyteller,

Continue reading →
Daniel S. Liuzzi
Oct 18, 2023
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