Maw
Written & Directed by Jasper Vrancken
2018, Belgium
A care facility worker named Richard is obsessed with the mouths of animals. Richard connects with a mysterious figure who may be able to satisfy his strange fixation in a disturbing way.
This twisted, well-made short will appeal to admirers of dark, offbeat auteurs like David Cronenberg, Nacho Cerda and Julia Ducournau.
Night Crawl
Written & Directed by Gregory Schultz
2019, USA
Two inmates try to tunnel their way out of prison and discover an underground cave in this grim, well-made horror short.
Auteur Schultz has stated that he places a high priority on production design and his detailed work in that area really pays off here.
Ella
Directed by Dan Gitsham
Written by Dan Gitsham & James Driver
2011, England
A desperate father armed with a shotgun takes center stage in this great, twisted take on the Little Red Riding Hood story.
Ella benefits from a very good lead performance by veteran actor Anthony Head.
Director Gitsham went on to make the horror shorts And the Baby Screamed (2018), Bill (2019) and The Thing That Ate the Birds (2021).
The Herd
Directed by Colin A. Borden
Written by Andy Nellis
2016, USA
This brutal, well-made short offers a disturbing look at the post-apocalyptic food chain.
Director Borden has focused primarily on comedy in subsequent short film work, which is unfortunate for lovers of horror as the memorable The Herd packs a punch.
Pantser
Written & Directed by Jan Verdijk
2021, Netherlands
During a deadly pandemic, two sisters hide away in their isolated country home. Their safety is threatened by a mysterious stranger who offers to help them.
Pantser, also known as Shielded, is a slow-burn apocalyptic short that wants to work as a drama and succeeds. In addition to excellent cinematography, Pantser also features an outstanding electronic music score by Koen van de Wardt.
Auteur Verdijk also made the horror short films Wild (2018) and A Stranger from the Past (2020). His feature film debut Alice is in post-production as of this writing.
Play Me
Written & Directed by Caleb J. Phillips
2023, USA
Guided only by a tape-recorded message from herself, a woman with no memory has to uncover the truth about the hooded, handcuffed man in the back seat of her car.
This is another very well-made mind-bender from auteur Phillips, who also made the horror short film classic Other Side of the Box (2018).
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
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
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
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.