Shelter: Eerie Narration Of A Post-Apocalyptic World

Writer-director Laurence Roberts’s Shelter is an 08:17-minute-long film set in a deserted wasteland, featuring Taryn (Madison Angus) and Conor (Sameer Jawar) and their brace against time and unknown forces to survive, while all they seek is–shelter.

Right from its opening frame, despite its warm tone, the film sets precedence to the foreboding world of Shelter. The deliberate silence is not misleading. You can feel it in the air, like a weight hanging over to smother you under. Taryn and Conor have survived “The Shift”, for now, but what pushes them on their endless walk across this abandoned land is their search for a spot to rest. A place that feels safe. As they chance upon a derelict research building, they think they have found their haven–or have they?

Roberts plays around with a genre that has been overly experimented with. But what sets Shelter apart is its runtime and the jump scares that have been marginally used. The story truly kicks once Taryn & Conor enter the abandoned facility. Little do they know what awaits them in the darkness.

Co-written and co-edited by Stephen Bell and Eric Moniz, Shelter warrants a prequel or a sequel–or even better an entire series. The voice over very smartly inserted into the film could prove in handy for its subsequent chapters. And, Angus and Jawar are simply enough for this screenplay. There’s an easy chemistry between the duo–one that speaks of survival bonds. As Taryn develops the chills, her body language begins to change. The growing hysteria, the sickness is very well emoted by Angus. The same goes for Jawar who strikes the balance between a terrified Taryn and himself.

What might have benefited Shelter more is a lengthier timeline. The animation and VFX (Renan Dias) are apt and befitting the storyline. And, Lillian Fung and Mike Cowley’s sound gives it the necessary edge. It’s creepy enough, sensorial and edgy. For those in love with this genre and particularly with a post-apocalyptic setting, this is their perfect pick.

Watch Shelter Horror Short Film Trailer