Arcana
Written & Directed by Jeronimo Rocha
2015, Portugal
With the accomplished space horror short Dedalo under his belt, talented auteur Rocha turns his attention to the supernatural with this creepy film about an imprisoned witch.
As the ongoing sound after the final fade-out suggests, there’s a lot more story to tell here.
Rocha is planning a feature film version of this, which is definitely cause for excitement.
Prey
Written & Directed by Bill Whirity
2019, USA
A first date quickly spirals into madness but, as is the case with many horror short films, all may not be as it seems.
Prey is slick, memorable work from Whirity, who also made the horror shorts Semblance (2014) and Below (2015).
The Stomach
Written & Directed by Ben Steiner
2014, UK
Offbeat auteur Steiner follows up the superlative vampire short The Flea with this memorable tale of a spiritual medium and his unusual abilities.
A mixture of horror movie and crime film elements, Steiner very accurately refers to The Stomach as “supernatural noir”.
This unique story idea deserves the feature film treatment.
A Quiet Moment
Directed by Martin Bruyere & Steve Villeneuve
Written by Tatjana Mahdi
2016, Canada
A woman enjoys a peaceful evening at home. The baby monitor is on. What could go wrong?
This is a slick, slow-burn piece with excellent cinematography and sound work. As the classification I chose for this short makes clear, I consider A Quiet Moment to be a psychopath horror film.
But it could be something else as the film displays the kind of creepy ambiguity that only short form horror can really pull off.
This one pairs nicely with Christian Cueva & Ricardo Farias’ Voces.
Balcony
Written & Directed by Chris Cronin
2015, UK
Oscar’s Bell director Cronin delivers a very short but highly memorable viewing experience with this slick, enigmatic award-winner.
After watching this one a few times, check out Ignacio F. Rodo’s Tuck Me In.
Number 15
Written & Directed by Daelan Wood
2017, Canada
After discovering a hidden camera in her apartment, a young woman gets a life-changing knock on her door.
This early work by veteran short filmmaker Wood is a great example of the type of horror short film that can be enjoyed and appreciated on its own but also plays like the first scene of a feature film that I’m sure would be much more intense and a lot less goofy than Jason Lei Howden’s Guns Akimbo (2019).
Wood also made the horror shorts Hello Quinn (2017), Timebox (2017) and Rearview (2018).
Number 15 is not Wood’s slickest work but it is still highly memorable. This one makes a good pairing with Victor Garcia’s T is for Tiles.
Oscar’s Bell
Directed by Chris Cronin
Written by Chris Cronin & Sam Cronin
2018, UK
A camping trip takes a very dark turn in this award-winner from veteran short filmmaker Chris Cronin.
Delivering an excellent piece with almost no dialogue (cinema’s most overrated element), Cronin uses a slow-burn approach and superb sound work to create genuine suspense. Oscar’s Bell has a bit of a 1970s feel to it, and that is intended as a major compliment to this talented director.
Tick
Written & Directed by Ashlea Wessel
2018, Canada
Set in a bleak near-future, a young woman with biological characteristics that make her a feared outsider tries to avoid capture by government agents.
Auteur Wessel, who previously made the horror short Ink (2016), delivers a fresh take on a familiar horror antagonist that demands to be watched more than once.
Tick also cries out for feature-length treatment.
Hang Up!
Written & Directed by Richard Powell
2018, Canada
While at work, a husband accidentally overhears an intensely disturbing phone conversation involving his wife of many years.
Hang Up! is the latest outstanding short-form work from auteur Powell, starring his favorite lead actor Robert Nolan.
Powell is the director of a number of unique, acclaimed horror short films under his Fatal Pictures banner with producing partner Zach Green including Consumption (2008), Worm (2010), Familiar (2012) and Heir (2015).
NSFW
Written & Directed by Cosmo Wallace
2015, England
A blogger attempts to trap a pedophile by posing as a young boy online and setting up a meeting in the woods that has unexpected consequences.
At 30 minutes, NSFW is a slow-burn short film debut that memorably rewards its viewers.