I have seen so many horror movies, and none of them really scare me anymore. From one horror buff to another (I’m assuming you also like the horror genre if you’re reading this), can you remember that feeling you had when you watched your first horror movie? I mean, your first good horror movie. For me, it was “Insidious”, and for a week straight I was terrified that the creepy red demon in the film was constantly behind me. I was seriously convinced I was going to grow grey hairs at the ripe age of 13. Now why, if that movie scared me so much, am I such a horror buff now? The leap happened five years later when I watched the 2017 “IT” film. I saw how horror movies can play with character development and tug on nostalgia and childlike wonder, all while giving you a scare.
So, after watching that movie another 22 times (I’m not joking), I decided to make it my mission to watch as many horror movies as possible. Soon, I became desensitized to them, so none of them scare me anymore, but I judge them based on plot, character building, and overall eeriness. I could honestly go on and on about how obsessed I am with horror, but I think I’ve made my point clear that I’m a reliable source for all things horror, so let me cut to the chase; I’ve been watching one short horror film every day for the month of October trying to get that same gut sinking feeling I got when I first started watching horror movies, and these have been my three absolute favourites that I definitely recommend you watch during this Halloween season (in order). I will say, though, there are so many subgenres of horror that my favourites might not resonate with you, and to that I say you’re wrong (just kidding, but seriously please watch these).
My third favourite short horror film so far, totalling just under ten minutes, is Butcher Bird Studios’ “In a Foreign Town” directed by Michael Shlain and based on stories by Thomas Ligotti (who is one of my favourite authors so I may be a little biased). Now, this one is weird. It’s not traditionally scary which is why it’s third because I understand this is not for everyone. Thomas Ligotti often writes horror that symbolizes something greater, usually about life being meaningless and all that existential stuff. The plot begins with a guy in a therapy session heavily sedated and being asked to recall a memory from his childhood. As he takes us through this memory, it shows him as a child and his father going to a foreign town to see a showman. The showman himself is completely eerie and unsettling. I was disgusted watching him on the stage. There’s nothing gory, no pop ups — it’s just entirely creepy, and the scene of the showman on stage is probably my roman empire. Again, the plot does not make much literal sense: it’s heavily metaphorical which I understand some people don’t like. But if you do like weird eerie unexplainable things, give this short film a try!
For those who like a more sensible plot, my second top pick is RDA Productions and Blue House Films’ “The Dollmaker”, directed by Al Lougher, totalling ten minutes. This is the closest a short film I’ve seen has gotten to resembling a real horror movie. Since they are so short, short horror films typically revolve around one creepy image that leads up to a terrifying jump scare or realization. This short film, however, builds an entire plot. A husband and wife lose their young son, so they go to a dollmaker that creates a life-size doll version of their son that comes to life when inside their house. The doll comes with a set of rules that are not meant to be broken (and I think you can guess what they do to the rules…). Though this movie didn’t scare me and so my goal of finding short horror films that scare the socks off me was not fulfilled, the plot twist was so amazing that it bumped this film up right to my top three. I strongly suggest you watch this.
Now, the moment you’ve been waiting for, my number one short horror film is Caleb J. Phillips’ “Other Side of the Box”, totalling just over fifteen minutes long. This one actually creeped me out, and that’s saying a lot. All I can say about the plot is that it revolves around a mysterious package a couple gets from an old friend. There is not much plot or explanation, you’re kind of just plopped into the middle of these people’s lives experiencing the same confusion they are. But the good thing about this is that you’re also experiencing the same fear that they are. It’s creepy, stressful, there’s twists and turns, all compacted into a very anxiety-inducing fifteen minutes. I think this is as perfect as it gets when it comes to short horror films.
Well, there’s my list! I hope you can get a good scare out of these, and if not, I hope I can at least give you something to watch on your phone while you’re eating or something. Enjoy (and be sure to thank me later).