Imagine [REC] peopled with the types of characters you might see in early Frank Henenlotter and John Waters movies, with low-budget attempts at early David Cronenberg-by-way-of-Troma body horror and goo effects, and a dash of David Lynch–homage-on-a-shoestring surrealism thrown in for good measure, and you might come close to guessing what it’s in store for […]
On a day when it seems that things can’t possibly get any worse than they just have, the short horror film Shi proves that they can, indeed. This stylish, gripping offering from writer/director Pablo Absento is rich with atmosphere and a sense of foreboding. As Shi opens, an unnamed man (Justin Berti) receives a call […]
Writer/director Mikel Ledesma’s short film Shattered is a dark dramatic thriller with one foot planted firmly in the horror genre, specifically in torture horror. That foot may be what keeps it from reaching the wider audience it seems to seek. Rose Sterling (Scarlette Martin) kidnaps Tom Collins (Matthew Roy), the man who was tried for […]
Something inarguably evil happened in the tiny town of Sangre de Cristo, Arizona, on June 2, 2011: all but 1 of its 57 residents were massacred, but just who or what did it is up for debate. The arresting horror film Savageland (2016) takes an effective, chilling faux-documentary-style approach in recreating the events of that […]
Filmmaker Patrick Rea, one-third of the trio that makes up SenoReality Pictures, may be best known for his feature-length disaster film/creature feature mash-up Nailbiter (2012), but he is prolific in turning out short films. Many of these fall into the horror, thriller, and dark comedy genres, and his latest title, Howl of a Good Time […]
Stephen King stories have a history of being difficult to adapt to the screen, but the filmmakers behind Bonfire Films – located in King’s home state of Maine – have a go at it with Suffer the Little Children. The climax of the story has some strong content, indeed, and this short film doesn’t shy […]
Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves. – Confucius To what lengths would a young girl go to see her deceased brother once again? How much trust would she place in the promises of strangers, even if those promises defy reason and the laws of nature? The excellent independent gothic thriller/horror […]
The first time I watched the troubling Canadian short horror film Heir, I knew nothing about it going in except that it starred renowned independent horror film actor Bill Oberst Jr. Less than 14 minutes later when the short finished, I was so thoroughly impressed that I instantly researched more about director Richard Powell and […]
Since Peter Jackson’s early films, along with efforts from other filmmakers such as those behind Black Sheep (2006), New Zealand has had a solid track record with producing horror comedies that worked in both aspects of this subgenre, which is not an easy feat. The past year or so has seen releases that pleased both […]
Not to be confused with the Albert Camus novel of the same name — although it could be argued that there is a peppering of existentialism on display at times here amongst the nihilism — debuting director Guillermo Amodoe’s Chilean effort The Stranger offers up a fair share of moody brooding. The titular character, also […]