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.
M is for Marble
Written & Directed by Zac Blair
2013, New Zealand
One tiny out of place item causes a lethal chain of events in Blair’s clever short that channels the feel of Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado’s debut feature Rabies (2010)-that of a nightmarish downward spiral lurking just under the surface of everyday life.
M is for Marble was originally an entry in the ABCs of Death 2 contest.
The Flea
Written & Directed by Ben Steiner
2008, England
Loyalty becomes a life-or-death issue for a pair of estranged friends who used to share a grisly occupation in this atmospheric short film.
A very fresh approach to a familiar subject, The Flea presents the least romanticized take on a monster-killing Savant character you are ever likely to see on film.
Steiner also made the 2014 film festival hit short The Stomach-an award-winning tale of a spirit medium with a bizarre talent.
The World Over
Written & Directed by Heath C. Michaels
2018, USA
A young couple finds a mysterious key in their home followed by a hidden keyhole.
They use the key and discover an increasingly disturbing parallel world that’s not quite a mirror image of their own.
Great stuff from creator Michaels in his highly accomplished short film debut.
Arzok
Written & Directed by Ian SBF
2019, Brazil
A primitive cave-dwelling man ventures out into the world and makes some startling discoveries.
Fans of Rod Serling will appreciate this well-made excursion into the realm of mind-bending sci-fi horror.