FROM.BEYOND

From.Beyond
Directed by Fredrik S. Hana
Written by Fredrik S. Hana & Jamie Turville
2022, Norway

Director Hana made the classic Lovecraftian horror short Autumn Harvest (2014) then stumbled with the horror/comedy misfire Sister Hell (2015).

There is no such stumble here as Hana presents fragments of documentary footage detailing the impact of the discovery of alien life forms on Earth.

From.Beyond is ambitious and, as one would expect from Hana, audacious.

CREEPER

Creeper
Directed by Melissa Scrivner-Love & David Love
Written by David Love
2022, USA

A mysterious stranger carrying some devastating secrets is taken into the home of a mother, her son and her abusive husband.

Creeper effectively employs a science fiction element that will remind viewers of bits from Rian Johnson’s Looper (2012), giving this short a unique feel.

THE ASH: SAFE HAVEN

The Ash: Safe Haven
Directed by Marty Stalker
Written by Spence Wright
2017, Ireland

As a wave of volcanic ash cripples the countryside, a young boy is left with an elderly caretaker and must face the deadly side-effects of the environmental disaster.

The Ash: Safe Haven-intended to launch a feature film-is a very well-made, heartfelt look at a life-shattering event highlighted by the great cinematography of Angus Mitchell.

 

 

STICKS

Sticks
Written & Directed by Noah Ishihara & CJ Beasley
2023, USA

A young man is injured while hiking with his girlfriend.  When she doesn’t return with help, he strikes out on his own to search for her and is confronted with disturbing revelations.

Sticks delivers some creepy backwoods ambience on its limited budget and this short establishes the Ishihara/Beasley creative duo as one to watch in the world of horror short films.

HOME INVASION

Home Invasion
Written & Directed by Liam Banks
2023, England

Veteran horror short film auteur Banks delivers his best work to date with this gory tale of a pair of thieves who get much more than they bargained for when they enact the titular crime.

Liam Banks also made the horror shorts The River (2022) and Did You See It Too? (2019), among others.

POCKET

Pocket
Written & Directed by Adante Watts
2023, USA

A young man desperately tries to escape from a seemingly endless parking structure while being pursued by a masked attacker in auteur Watts’ foray into the world of altered reality horror cinema.

As of this writing, Watts is currently at work on the horror short Reprieve.

 

DEJA VU

Déjà Vu
Written & Directed by Olivier Labonte LeMoyne
2017, Canada

A woman tries to describe a disturbing nightmare to a friend, only to find she may be trapped within the dangerous dream.

This is a polished piece of altered reality cinema from auteur LeMoyne that packs a punch despite its restrained nature.

LAST NIGHT

Last Night
Written & Directed by Rory Wood
2021, Canada

Prolific short filmmaker Wood, maker of the excellent Within (2021), delivers a memorable take on a classic horror cinema subject with the dialogue-free, black & white Last Night.

Wood is a talent that demands to be watched.