3 Short Horror Films to Give You Nightmares

In this day and age, who wants to spend two hours watching a horror movie? We live in a world that’s constantly looking for instant gratitude and our patience is at an all-time low. As a result you generally only have a few seconds to capture your audience’s attention – particularly on YouTube.
And from the glut of junk that sits out there in the online world there is a small selection of very high quality, independently produced short horror films that are skilfully crafted to instantly engage then terrify us.

Here we take a look at three great short horror movies that are available freely on the web.

3 Short Horror Films to Give You Nightmares

Lights out

This independent production, made for submission to a short film contest, managed to grab a large piece of limelight when the mainstream media caught on to how scary it was.
The film is surprisingly simple. Set in an apartment, we join a lone woman as she struggles to sleep. She can’t seem to relax, and the situation is worsened by unexplained things that take place around her.

lights out short horror movie

The beauty of lights out is its simplicity. There’s no need for dialogue or flashy effects. Instead the producers manage to tap into feelings and fears that we all have from time to time, making it easy for us to relate to the actress and to become completely engrossed.

Writer/Director David Sandberg is currently working one feature length version of the film. One to look out for.

YouTube video

Selfie From Hell

Selfie From Hell became a YouTube sensation when it was shared on Social Media. Ironic, given that it’s based on a behaviour that social media has been responsible for.

As a lone woman (seeing a trend here?) takes smartphone photos of herself in her apartment she notices something peculiar in the image.
And as she continues to take photos, driven by curiosity, a sinister dark figure gets closer to her.

selfie from hell

This film’s strength is tension. As the victim gets increasingly scared, so does the viewer. And with each photograph that’s taken, it gets harder to bring yourself to look at the screen. ‘What hideous thing will await us in the next shot’?

Somewhat similar to the 2004 film, Shutter. Selfie From Hell proves that no budget is necessary to make a truly scary film.

YouTube video

A.Friend

Following the social media theme is A. Friend, a new award winning short produced by independent French film company, Rolling Films.

After returning home one evening a woman finds that she has a new Facebook friend request. The invite comes from an account called ‘A.Friend’ and after accepting, the woman looks through the owner’s photos to find out more about them. Curiously, there are many albums containing voyeuristic photographs, each named after the person that’s the subject of some apparent stalking.

a-friend

But as she looks at the more recent pictures she finds that she too has caught the photographer’s eye. Not only that, but he is a lot closer to her than she initially thought.
A.Friend is it another great example of a great, simple idea that is executed to perfection. From the mood and tone of the film to the pace and performance of the actress, it’s surprising just how much quality can ooze from such a short film.

YouTube video

With these short, low budget films already out there getting hits and acclaim, what’s stopping you from grabbing your camera and doing the same?

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The Templar

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