Watching a horror movie in the theater is always going to be a great experience and 2022 gave fans some fantastic options. Whether checking out the newScreamor being entertained and horrified bySmile, there were some impressive scary stories that were more fun to watch on the big screen.
But while fans of the genre will always want to head to the theater to see new releases, it’s also fun to check out the horror short films that are available on YouTube. Fans of the genre can pick a few for a night at home and have a terrifying binge-watch as these stories rival feature-length films in terms of characters and storytelling.
RELATED:7 Best Anime Short Films, Ranked
Manyhorror shorts are scarier than most moviesand there are several that are worth mentioning as they cover a variety of subgenres. There is definitely an art to a short film. While short films tend to be defined as a story that is 40 minutes or shorter, many horror shorts are around 15 minutes. This is the perfect amount of time to introduce interesting characters, scary situations, unique settings, and haunting endings that rival the best feature-length films.
InOther Side of the Box, which was co-written by Nick Tag and Caleb J. Philips and directed by Philips, Shawn visits his friends Rachel and Ben. Shawn brings a box that has a mystery hidden inside. The tone of this short is perfectly creepy and it matchesgreat horror movies with smart pacing and tension. It’s amazing how much story can fit into 15 minutes. Right away, Rachel and Ben’s dilemma is apparent and audiences will want to know what decisions they make and what happens to them.
Another stand-out isDon’t Sleepwhich features Autumn Noel as the student and voice of Skylar. Alex Magaña wrote, directed, and did the sound design for the short film, along with editing and being the DP. The title is intriguing, as it suggests that the movie will be about a character who can’t fall asleep because something terrible will occur. The movie is only just over two minutes long, which is impressive as it does tell a complete story. It also has a sense of humor and fits into thehorror comedy genre. It’s a good example of what can done with short films and a reminder that a movie doesn’t have to be 90 or more minutes to be solid.
It’s also interesting when a feature-length horror movie begins as a short and then gets a second life as a longer film.Parker Finn’s 2022 horror movieSmileis based on his shortLaura Hasn’t Slept,which can be found and enjoyed on YouTube. The short, which was released in 2020, is 11 minutes long and is about Laura (Caitlin Stasey) talking to a therapist about the horrible presence that she keeps seeing. In a stunning moment, the therapist’s face changes and she begins to question where she is and what’s really going on.
LikeSmile, which is one of thebest 2020s horror movies,Laura Hasn’t Sleptuses darkness and music to up the tension. In a few instances, it’s hard to see Laura as she looks around the room and works out that it’s not likely that she’s going to survive. In the feature-length film, Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) spends a lot of time alone in her house, which is dark on purpose. The lack of light is a smart choice and makes the visions that Rose is seeing seem even more terrifying. Both Laura and Rose are hoping that what they’re seeing isn’t actually real since they keep seeingcreepy smiles, which are found in many horror moviesbut are definitely even worse here.
The similarities and differences betweenLaura Hasn’t SleptandSmilealso show what can be done when a short horror film is turned into a longer one. The run time ofSmileis 1 hour, 55 minutes versus the 11-minute length short. Stasey plays Laura Weaver, the character from the short film. She’s a graduate student who tells Rose that she has been having visions and it’s clear that she thinks that she’s going to die. It’s smart for Finn to broaden the world that he has created but still include Laura as a riveting and pivotal character who sets everything in motion, putting the awful curse onto Rose.
Other great short horror films includeDolly,written by Sabrina Knappett, and Alex Magaña’sDon’t Look In The Mirror. These take classic horror tropes like evil dolls and creepy mirror faces and tell scary stories within a short period of time. Horror fans looking for their next scary watch should definitely consider heading to YouTube and seeing the creativity of these short films.
NEXT:Watch Guardians of the Galaxy’s Karen Gillan in a Short Horror Film
