David McGuff’s Barbarian God, based on Daniel Prillaman’s play, explores what happens when a Viking vampire confronts a nun’s faith—right after killing a priest with the nun secretly watching. The film swaps out the play’s young boy for the young nun, changing the dynamics of the encounter. An undercurrent of homoeroticism runs through the film… Continue reading Barbarian God: The Thrills of a Medieval Viking Vampire
Tag: Horror
Return to Sender: Surveillance, Control and Paranoia in Modern Times
Russell Goldman’s Return to Sender is a psychological horror that taps into the uniquely contemporary fears concomitant with living in the digital age. It creates a maze of these fears, trapping the protagonist in a waking, inescapable nightmare. As a recovering alcoholic, Julia (Allison Tolman) is already at a precarious place in life. She has… Continue reading Return to Sender: Surveillance, Control and Paranoia in Modern Times
The Changing Room: Tapping into the Reliable Horror of Mirrors
Sam Evenson’s The Changing Room is a 4-minute horror within the confines of a changing room. The cramped quarters made terrifyingly vast, it assumes the shape of nightmares. Featuring a woman who crosses over to an unauthorised area in a store, the film weaponizes voyeurism as its source of horror. The unnamed woman (Jamie Taylor… Continue reading The Changing Room: Tapping into the Reliable Horror of Mirrors
Something Behind The Walls: Tale Of The City Slicker In A Rural Farm
Kit Wilson’s Something Behind The Walls is a horror set in 1930s Philadelphia, following the experiences of a city journalist sent to the country to cover the local folklore. With only an alcoholic doctor and a farmer for company as things go awry, Dorothy must survive the night to have any hope of getting away. … Continue reading Something Behind The Walls: Tale Of The City Slicker In A Rural Farm
Curve: Minimalist Horror Straight Out Of Nightmares
Tim Egan’s short film Curve taps into base, instinctive fears with a narrative always headed for doom. Less than 10 minutes long and with only one actor and setting, the film is an excellent exercise in horror and an example of minimalist filmmaking. Here’s our analysis of Curve. Laura Jane Turner stars as an unnamed,… Continue reading Curve: Minimalist Horror Straight Out Of Nightmares
Saternus: The Origins Of A Cult
Malakai Tyne Bisel’s Saternus just shies away from satirizing the dark world of cults. But centred around the members of a faux cult, Saternus takes a turn for the dark early on and then unravels it all for the benefit of the viewer. There are three in this faux cult; small-time thieves looking to make… Continue reading Saternus: The Origins Of A Cult
Seed: A Murder (Or Two) For An Olive
Nikhail Asnani’s 10-minute horror Seed follows a witch’s mission to grow her olive tree. Set in broad daylight despite the sinister nature of its protagonist’s plans, the film uses its actors to create the exact disquietude it was aiming for. Ms Persimmon (Niki J. Crawford), try though she might, cannot keep her olive plant alive,… Continue reading Seed: A Murder (Or Two) For An Olive
A Sickness: Building Horror With A Play On The Senses
Guy Soulsby’s 10-minute horror A Sickness is a gratifying indulgence in atmospheric horror. Following a man going about his day at home, the film works to creep under your skin and have you looking over your shoulder at every pause and noise. Indeed, the sound design cannot be ignored. It figures significantly in creating an… Continue reading A Sickness: Building Horror With A Play On The Senses
Doors: Play of Silence and Sound in Chilling Bite-Sized Horror
Dennis Cahlo’s horror short Doors (co-written with Bethany Watson) makes judicious use of its time. At just 4 minutes, with no dialogue and a single character, the film sets up a chilling narrative set to a relentless background score. Camerawork and editing make themselves felt as intensely as the music while the tension escalates without… Continue reading Doors: Play of Silence and Sound in Chilling Bite-Sized Horror
The Ogress: Mythicising A True Tale Of Horror
Based on the serial killer Amelia Dyer, nicknamed the Ogress of Reading, Jon Kent’s short The Ogress forays into the realm of the supernatural. Following a number of linked cases of missing children, the story is set in modern times where a detective is confronted with an oddity in the case: a missing woman. Two… Continue reading The Ogress: Mythicising A True Tale Of Horror