Nova
Written & Directed by David McAbee
2019, USA
A scientist infected by…..something…..desperately tries to record a warning before meeting her inevitable fate.
Compelling and enigmatic, Nova is highlighted by excellent special effects.
Auteur McAbee also directed the horror short films Night Terrors (2016) and Miseria (2022).
True North
Written & Directed by Brian Mitchell & Ian Start
2021, USA
The death of his child and the disintegration of his marriage puts Elliot in a downward spiral.
After a disturbing, enigmatic call from his wife, Elliot travels to their remote cabin in the woods and comes face-to-face with another level of personal horror.
Ian Michaels turns in an excellent lead performance here.
Co-creator Mitchell also directed the horror cinema series History of Fright (2018).
Progeny
Directed by Justin Daering
Written by Kenda Greenwood & Justin Daering
2019, USA
A factory worker is forced into surrogate parenthood by his alien boss in this well-made, thought-provoking short.
Just as Ashlea Wessel does in her great short Tick, director Daering delivers a highly memorable look at an altered society in a brief amount of screen time.
While it works very well on its own, Progeny clearly lays the groundwork for a feature film.
Ice Man
Written & Directed by Daniel Byers
2019, USA
A survivor known as “Ice Man” battles a band of cannibals in a snowy, post-apocalyptic world.
Auteur Byers creates a very memorable short, successfully channeling Richard Matheson’s classic novel I Am Legend along the way.
Byers had previously made the period zombie short Bloodyback (2016) and is currently in post-production on the feature film Banishment.
P.O.W.
Directed by Doug Cook & Eric Covello
Written by Doug Cook & Mark Prosia
2015, Canada
With town residents occupied by an event honoring military veterans, two thieves break into a home in search of some easy loot.
Once inside, their plan goes sideways and the robbers are thrown into a grim and very dangerous situation.
This one makes a great double-feature with Jonathan van Tulleken’s Off Season.
The filmmaking duo of Cook & Covello has been quiet since P.O.W.. Let’s hope they have more cinematic work in the pipeline.
Narrow
Written & Directed by Anna Chazelle
2020, USA
Auteur Chazelle stars as a survivor in a post-apocalyptic world being pursued by a creature that presents itself in different guises.
Narrow makes the most of its clearly limited budget and, also doing its job as an industry calling-card, has landed Chazelle her first feature directing job on an Elmore Leonard adaptation.
Epoch
Written & Directed by Rich Lee
2018, USA
A woman travels through a ravaged, post-apocalyptic America, stopping to gather supplies.
Her encounter with two survivors leads to some unexpected revelations.
Epoch‘s production design and art direction are spectacular and its visual effects team does a tremendous job creating the film’s devastated road-trip backdrop, which is one of the most impressive you will ever see in a short film.
Other Side of the Box
Directed by Caleb J. Phillips
Written by Caleb J. Phillips & Nick Tag
2018, USA
A couple is given a mysterious gift by an estranged friend. Once opened, the box reveals bizarre, potentially deadly contents.
Excellent, award-winning stuff from the Phillips/Tag creative duo, highlighted by Laura Jansen’s superb cinematography.
Other Side of the Box makes a great double-feature with Heath C. Michaels’ The World Over.
Crop
Written & Directed by Kyle Ginzburg
2016, USA
Set against the backdrop of the black-market organ trade, auteur Ginzburg delivers an offbeat take on a familiar horror character in this slick short that fans of Tony Scott’s The Hunger (1983) and Larry Fessenden’s Habit (1995) will especially appreciate.
Alice Jacobs is Dead
Written & Directed by Alex Horwitz
2009, USA
A scientist works at creating a cure for a devastating disease, concealing a dangerous secret along the way.
This take on the potential end of civilization focuses on the relationship between its two lead characters, with just enough of the outside world on view to effectively provide Alice Jacobs is Dead with its grim backdrop.
The performance by veteran actor Adrienne Barbeau is excellent.