Short Horror Reviews: One-Word Titles

Trap:

First up, we have a short film that clocks in at around 4 minutes and features a seemingly basic premise. One night, Cheryl (D'Kia Anderson) leaves her home for a romantic date. Little does she know that something is hiding inside her closet--something that's waiting for her when she returns. For most of this movie, Trap looks to be a super generic film about an unsuspecting woman being stalked by a hidden danger. Such a premise has been the basis for many a YouTube-published horror short film, so Trap isn't terribly memorable to start with. The twist at the end at least makes more of an impact, even if it's not going to win any awards for originality and might leave some disappointed with how little explanation is offered for what's happening.

But let's give credit where credit is due. D'Kia Anderson tears into the final revelation as Cheryl while Justin Graves gives a good performance of his own as the creature in Cheryl's closet. Sadly, he has to contend with the monstrosity of a makeup job he's given. It looks like the crew just mixed glitter and brown glue in a jar and smeared it on Graves' face. There's also the matter of director/writer Alexander Henderson's random bit of narration and bookending the movie with two physical appearances: first to introduce Trap as a story based on a nightmare and then to do the standard "if you enjoyed this video, please like and subscribe" YouTube routine. While it's decent bite-size horror with a great lead actor, Trap only becomes truly scary and engaging towards the end. Until then, it's just mediocre ghostly antics that lead into an overly ambiguous ending. Anderson's dramatic performance keeps the film from falling too far down the rating scale, but it'd be better to save Trap for when you're cleaning out your own closet and need some background entertainment.

Score: 6 out of 10 Willie Henderson books.

Woods:

Following his breakout hit novel, writer John Stramen (David Clark) is having trouble getting back to work. But it's not just regular writer's block: John is being haunted (literally and figuratively) by a misdeed of the past. Dark figures seem to be following John, and when he becomes the victim of increasingly violent pranks, John fears for his life. Is someone in his small mountain village out to get him? Or does something more disturbing seek to destroy John? Being about 30 minutes long, Woods outdoes Trap in length--but slips below it in quality. While it may last almost half an hour, about half of that runtime is spent on stale filler/buildup that leads to a not-so-worth-the-wait conclusion. To add insult to injury, there's no compelling acting to distract from the bland plot and lethargic pacing.

Even during John's more explosive Jack Torrance-esque moments, David Clark feels overly restrained in his performance. He's "complemented" by Eva Larvoire, who is positively lifeless as John's concerned friend Beth. The story had some potential to be unique or clever, but it gets nixed in favor of going down the expected route. SPOILER ALERT The early reveal that John published his late wife's novel as his own and the later revelation that the pranks were all the work of John's friends trying to "inspire" his writing could've been used to craft an interesting twist. Instead, Beth and company's asinine setup only serves to have John institutionalized, where he'll continue to be tormented by his demons. A dull ending to a dull psychological horror flick. Spoilers Over

The only surprising thing about Woods's finale is how the credits are surprisingly well-designed for a film that's otherwise fairly drab aesthetically (barring the appropriately unnerving design of the figures following John). Not to say that that's another weakness; Sean van Leijenhorst's direction and Cédric Larvoire's camerawork combine to give the film a foreboding atmosphere and the small mountain town a rustic feel. Too bad it couldn't translate to a better story with stronger performances. Any chance Woods had of being an enjoyably scary romp into the mind of a broken man gets lost in the trees.

Score: 2 out of 10 egged windows.

Sarcophaga:

Imagine the Maya Rudolph film Thirsty (reviewed here) reimagined as a horror movie and you've got Sarcophaga. Two key differences are that the star insect is a fly rather than a mosquito and Sarcophaga tells a much darker story. After entering the home of a man named Claudio (Gianluca Cortesi), a common flesh fly learns that the man is a depraved serial killer--and watches as he captures his latest victim Rita (Alessandra Bellini) and subjects her to savage torture. Falling in love with the brutalized woman, can a mere bug save Rita from an agonizing demise? Outside of the fly POV angle, Sarcophaga tells a straightforward tale of a naïve woman falling prey to a sadistic killer. For a good chunk of the film, the insect protagonist is forgotten about to focus on Claudio and Rita.

Sarcophaga follows the previous film's example when it comes to slowly building up to a big climax. But unlike Woods, this film's slow-burn action moves along steadily enough to curb any potential boredom and the actors work better with the material to keep things fresh. Gianluca Cortesi is deliciously twisted as sinister shutterbug Claudio while Alessandra Bellini sells Rita's terror and fierce willingness to tell Claudio exactly what she thinks of him and his inhuman proclivities. While he's given some less-than-stellar dialogue to work with, Erik Tonelli does solid work narrating as the titular fly. Coincidentally, Sarcophaga also shares in common with Woods a sleek end credits sequence. But instead of being preceded by a dry climax, Sarcophaga ends on a bloody good note--apart from that weird jump scare-y final shot.

While Sarcophaga and Woods both have well-worn plotlines, Sarcophaga does much more to put their own spin on the premise. In addition to the unique perspective from which the story is told, the main actors keep you invested in the story as Rita's predicament gets grimmer and Claudio's blood lust gets more extreme. As the most macabre film of the list thus far, Sarcophaga is an attention-grabbing horror short about a man's perverted obsession and a fly's determination to save a human from certain death.

Score: 7 out of 10 liters of perfume and deodorant.

Olivia:

Fourth film of the list and it's another familiar horror premise. Strapped for cash, college student Anna (Alexis Shultz) takes a job babysitting Olivia (Scottie Smith), a girl whose mask conceals the burns she received in a devastating accident. But as the night goes on and Anna becomes more and more alarmed by Olivia's strange behavior, she'll learn that everything is not as it seems in this house. Babysitters in peril have been a staple of the horror genre since the 60's and Olivia is an addition to the subcategory from last year. When it first starts, things don't look promising. The audio is often muddled and jarringly shifts in volume at times, which makes some scenes of dialogue hard to understand. The acting is likewise unimpressive, with the main cast feeling as strained and lifeless as David Clark in Woods. Alexis Shultz makes Anna a generic and under-emotive heroine and Jeff Grennell is memorably flat as Olivia's father Jim.

Saving Olivia from being a total disaster is an intense story that might just throw you for a loop. SPOILER ALERT First, it seems the story is going down a supernatural path. Then when Anna discovered the bottle of paralytic drugs, I was thinking it was a Munchausen by Proxy child abuse situation. But then the photo album is uncovered and it becomes clear that Anna was lured into a trap by two human threats looking to replace their dead daughter. Some sly camerawork hinting that Jim and Tracy are still in the house and a foreshadowing nightmare (which contains a serviceably spooky performance from Scottie Smith) cleverly allude to the truth behind Anna's babysitting gig without giving it away too early. The only downside is that some of "Olivia's" pre-reveal actions make no sense. Despite apparently being able to get out of her wheelchair and talk, she never tries to make a run for it or properly warn Anna about the danger they're in. Spoilers Over

The acting proves to be the biggest thorn in this movie's side, with the wonky audio and Spoiler-section mentioned plot hole running close seconds. But thanks to a stable pace and a story that knows how to keep you on your toes, Olivia avoids becoming the problem child of this cluster of short films.

Score: 6.5 out of 10 digital thermostats.

Stucco:

Now for a film that gets a lot more allegorical with its plot and visuals. Moving into a new home following a traumatic breakup, an agoraphobic woman (Janina Gavankar) discovers a hollow wall that may have something hidden behind it. With the action taking place almost exclusively within the protagonist's house, Stucco has an appropriately isolating mood that aligns with the main character's deteriorating mental state. Soon after discovering the hollow wall, the woman's physical health also starts to suffer, with Janina Gavankar (who co-wrote and co-directed Stucco alongside Russo Schelling) authentically depicting her character's downward spiral.

As for plotting, it's another story put on a low burn. But this time around, the story is much less linear and leans more to the abstract side of things. A few scenes (especially the one displayed in the above thumbnail) leave vast room for interpretation and the details of the protagonist's relationship with her ex are left vague. We bear witness to how unstable the man is, but a bit of dialogue implying the protagonist was unfaithful to him may make you wonder if it was a mutually toxic relationship. Stucco boasts some nice use of cinematography, with the lighting getting gradually dimmer as the woman's health worsens. SPOILER ALERT The makeshift "throne" that lies beyond the wall is well-designed and is the centerpiece of a strong climax that leads into an empowering ending for Stucco's main heroine. While the whole "everything was a metaphor for the main character overcoming their troubles" aspect is far from new, it still makes for a satisfying conclusion that Gavankar delivers with appreciated subtlety. She sells the moment as a step in her character's road to recovery without making it feel like the movie is saying her problems are completely resolved now. Spoilers Over

Admittedly, Stucco straddles the line between effective creativity and superfluous artsiness. It even occasionally stumbles off the line and onto the latter half. But for the most part, it tells an entertainingly twisted and stimulating story about mental illness and the struggle of recovering from it. With stellar visuals and an empathetic lead actress to its name, Stucco gives its worthy subject matter the compelling story it deserves.

Score: 7 out of 10 thrones of your own making.

Monsters:

All her life, Jenn (Caitlin Carmichael) has lived with her family in a bunker, the outside world being ravaged by vicious monsters. But on her tenth birthday, Jenn decides to finally venture outside for the first time. What she finds will change her life forever. While released back in 2015, someone going into Monsters blind could easily mistake it for a more recent movie made in response to COVID-19. The film opens with Jenn and her father Henry (played by Christopher Wiehl) talking about how the monsters "destroyed everything" before Henry masks up to go get supplies. But as the film goes on, it becomes clear that Monsters isn't a typical apocalypse horror.

Taking center stage as the precocious Jenn, Caitlin Carmichael gives a powerful performance. She's already lovable in the beginning as she insists she can face the monsters. But once she leaves the bunker and makes some alarming discoveries, Carmichael delivers Jenn's heartbreaking reaction with powerful strength. Only the hardest of hearts won't ache for this young girl. The rest of Jenn's family doesn't get nearly as much focus, but there's not a bad performance to be found among them. Wiehl and Ione Skye bring sincerity to their portrayals of loving parents Henry and Marie and Joey Luthman's Isaac can be seen in a new light after the twist drops. SPOILER ALERT While Isaac's attempt to scare Jenn initially has Big Brother Bully vibes to it (given how Marie scolds him for it), the final reveal shows that it was Isaac's way of trying to keep his sister safe. I also like how the film initially seems to be going down one "Humans Are The Real Monsters" path, only to suddenly turn and go down another path of the same theme. Spoilers Over An enthralling story with an incredible lead star and a final act that hits hard, Monsters will have you thinking about it long after Jenn emerges from that bunker.

Score: 9 out of 10 one-sided sword fights.

Wicken:

Released a year before the similarly themed Infection, Wicken follows Nora (Nour Safieh) as she receives a late-night Skype call from her boyfriend Ethan (Stuart Richard). When Ethan sends her a strange photo, Nora's uneventful night quickly becomes a nightmare. Like the film that opens this list, Wicken follows the basic premise of a young woman's home being invaded by some otherworldly creature. But unlike Trap, Wicken doesn't do a lot to separate itself from the pack. The most unique thing about Faisal Hashmi's script is the modus operandi of the title spirit, and even then, it doesn't do much to give this paint-by-numbers ghost story flavor.

The cast doesn't do anything to help either. Nour Safieh and Stuart Richard aren't awful actors and both are halfway decent during Nora and Ethan's respective emotional highpoints. But neither are particularly impressive and both are stuck with paper-thin characters to portray. Safieh gets the rawer end of the deal as the bland and somewhat daft Nora, who makes a classic Dumb Final Girl decision in the last few minutes of the movie. Without the frenetic energy or gripping performances that made Infection enjoyable, Wicken falls short of the film it preemptively rips off.

Score: 4 out of 10 Jackson guitars.

Sloven:

Now this is a film that fully takes the premise behind Trap and plays it out with no formula deviations. Returning home to get ready for a Halloween party, Steve (Baker Chase Powell) is annoyed to find that his roommate Brian (Scott Aschenbrenner) has left their apartment a mess. But there might be something more terrifying than a slobby roomie lurking within. When stacked against We Die Alone, a Glass Cabin Films feature that would come out five years later, Sloven is ultra-simplistic. SPOILER ALERT The final twist is even a more-or-less direct copy of the Clown Statue urban legend, which makes it all the more anticlimactic when the only payoff for all the movie's buildup is a standard jump scare ending. Spoilers Over

But unlike the previously discussed Wicken, Sloven has enough appeal to make it watchable for the full six-minute runtime. Baker Chase Powell is likable and charming as exasperated roommate Steve, making you feel for the poor guy as he contends with both an unbelievably messy apartment and a greater unseen menace. There's also an unspoken sense of comedy in the fact that this evil spirit's initial transgressions against Steve are making a mess of his kitchen and stealing his weed and booze. While I wish that comedic edge was explored more, it's still pretty amusing to imagine Steve's apartment ghoul as the college stoner version of a Paranormal Activity entity. While it's no marvel of horror storytelling, Sloven is still entertaining with its swift pace and charismatic leading man. Maybe even tidy up your own place (which hopefully isn't being haunted by inconsiderate ghosts) while you watch.

Score: 7 out of 10 blue solo cups.

Lullaby:

A classic children's song gets a grisly remix in this 2-minute short. As a masked woman known as Dollface (Rachel Lynn David) sings and dances along to Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes, we watch as the disturbed woman tortures a man (Luis Ruiz) to the song's tune. In only a few minutes, Lullaby treats the viewer to a gruesome variation on an innocent song as performed by a deranged lunatic. Rachel Lynn David jumps full force into Dollface's psychotically playful sadism and the effects are impressive for a $1,000 budget movie. It's bloody enough to satisfy the gore hounds without feeling gratuitously graphic.

The only notable problem with the short is how distractingly bizarre Ruiz plays Dollface's victim. The man's relatively unaffected by his captor's torture, even as her methods become progressively more painful. If it was a deliberate directing choice on Deric Nunez's part, I'd say it was a bad call. A good call was making Dollface's outfit so revealing, as her provocative clothing makes the villainess's childlike demeanor even more unsettling. Despite Ruiz's apathetic acting, Lullaby is a grimly fun two minutes of mayhem with a chilling conclusion.

Score: 9 out of 10 Take-a-Long cassette players.

Bleeder:

A regular trip to the bathroom for Clare (Milly Sanders) takes a messy turn when the woman in the next stall asks her for a tampon. Released the same year as the holiday horror short Humbug, Bleeder also stars Milly Sanders and Jessee Foudray. While this film isn't on the same level as Humbug, it's just as entertaining as the similar-in-nature Sloven. While the plot is simple and to the point, the cast and quietly comedic undertones allow it to stick out. The extreme bloodshed and gnarly design of the Bathroom Bleeder (as played by Jessee Foudray) do the same. And like Sloven's Baker Chase Powell, Milly Sanders gives a likable performance as the genial Clare.

SPOILER ALERT Clare does turn into a dummy when the Bleeder comes for her. Rather than trying to stand up and make a run for it, Clare instead opts to remain seated while trying to open the locked bathroom stall door by pulling on the handle hard enough. But despite that, Sanders still makes it easy to feel for Clare when she ends up getting murdered for the crime of not having a tampon to spare. Spoilers Over As fast-footed as Sloven with an even freakier monster at its center, Bleeder will definitely satisfy viewers looking for a quick hit of horror. Though be warned, it might also make you wary of using public restrooms for a while...

Score: 7 out of 10 "I Voted" stickers.

Momo:

To end this list with another Alexander Henderson directed/written feature, we have the meme-inspired Momo. The film follows Lola (Nicoletta Hanssen) as she and her boyfriend Donnie (Wade Baker) receive an uninvited guest: Momo (Aza Sharavnyam). While some may call it a stupid viral picture, I've always found "Momo" extremely creepy. So this film already had me watching with bated breath, wondering when those bulging eyes and unnatural grin were going to fill my screen. In terms of plot, Momo can be described as a cross between Wicken and Lullaby: Wicken because of the "woman being pursued by murderous supernatural creature" angle, Lullaby due to Momo having the same unnervingly cutesy characterization as Dollface.

But while Wicken's Nora was forgettable and a bit moronic, Momo's Lola is played by the emotive Nicoletta Hanssen and proves to be quite a bit more survival savvy. What mistakes she does make aren't as irritating and can be explained by Lola being in a state of shock. Hanssen throws herself into Lola's terror as she's mercilessly hunted while Aza Sharavnyam does the same with Momo's ferocious insanity. The cloying tone Sharavnyam gives to Momo's voice only adds to her creepiness. Wade Baker is the black sheep of the trio, with his stale performance not being helped by Donnie being the requisite Idiot Horror Movie Boyfriend type. It almost feels like his character's just there to facilitate the Wyze product placement. And while the Momo design is mostly good at replicating the original meme, the version we see when Momo's face gets a closeup shot is pretty bad.

SPOILER ALERT There were also a few irksome problems with Momo's finale. After Lola flees out the window, Momo briefly leaves the bedroom before suddenly charging back in to get back to the chase--seemingly for no reason other than to artificially manufacture a jump scare. Even accounting for a presumed low budget, it's hard not to find it odd that Lola's car is parked in a completely deserted lot. And lastly, there's the abrupt ending. While the in media res opening makes it look like Momo will end up possessing Lola to make her kill her boyfriend, the movie shows Momo doing it herself before cornering Lola in her car. Why would she possess Lola when she'd already killed Donnie? Why possess her at all when earlier, Momo was eager to kill Lola too? And what's with that goofy unnecessary narration of the "three hours earlier" card? Overall, there's a lot in Momo's final minutes that will have you scratching your head in bewilderment. Spoilers Over

Before the baffling conclusion strikes, however, Momo is a thrilling exercise in fear. With a zero-to-100 pace, good scares, and a heroine you can root for, the movie is quick to capture your attention and keep it. Its roots in meme culture may have some dismissing it as a lame cash-in, but before it takes a dive in the last stretch, Momo would make for a decent short horror flick to enjoy on a dark night with some popcorn.

Score: 7.5 out of 10 Wyze live streams.

Overall:

Out of the eleven films discussed on this list, four of them earned a solid 7 from me. Most of the other films also received solid marks, with Monsters and Lullaby ranking the highest while Woods and Wicken bring up the rear. While a lot of these films followed common horror tropes, the best of the bunch found ways to put their stamp on them and tell engagingly spooky stories. So if you have the time and are in the mood for a horror binge-watch, maybe curl up under the covers, turn off the lights, and give this list a watch.