Not feeling quite festive this holiday season? Could you use a few more scares on a cold winter night? If you have even just a few minutes to spare, we’ve got you covered!
Writer/director Adam Davis recently released his award-winning Christmas short film Orum via CryptTV‘s official YouTube page. With genre staple Kristina Klebe (Brooklyn 45, Rob Zombie’s Halloween) taking the lead, Orum finds a grieving daughter attempting to bring her mother back from beyond the grave–with horrifying consequences. Always game for a memorable genre role, horror icons Barbara Crampton and Bill Moseley are caught up in the holiday horror here as Klebe’s parents, a welcome addition to this brief but satisfying slice of short-form terror. Former WWE wrestler Paul London rounds out the cast.
Following its festival run, Orum was ultimately nominated for Best Horror Short and Best Supporting Performance (Barbara Crampton) at the 2024 Nightmares Film Festival. Sitting at a brief, but eventful 8-minute runtime, Davis’s film is a delightfully twisted tale that would be right at home next to your annual holiday horror favorites. Check out the short below!
For lovers of the horror short medium, 2024 was a year of wildly impressive and artistically distinct releases. It goes without saying that it’s very easy to get lost amidst the countless independently released horror shorts available on streaming sites and services at any given moment. As short-form media has continued to rise in popularity in the TikTok age, there’s no shortage of filmmakers developing bite-sized horror content as of late.
What may be surprising though is the number of projects out there that are truly impressive genre feats born of passion and inventive perspectives–a promising testament to the future of horror and the creatives who love to create it. If you’re like me and love the fast and furious experience of watching short-form horror, check out these four additional short films from 2024 that are certainly worth your time…
Storytime
Writer/Director: Dylan Clark
Filmmaker Dylan Clark has been active in horror since 2018, recently making waves with his outstanding 2022 short Portrait of God (watch here), which delivered major chills all in the confines of a private theater setting. Storytime takes a similarly simple but intriguing approach to horror storytelling, following a young woman (Sydney Brumfield, also featured in Portrait of God) who realizes that the podcast narrator she is listening to is actually aware of her presence. Storytime is tense and engaging from start to finish and delivers an ending that will no doubt stick with viewers for much longer than a few minutes.
Rebecca’s Room
Writers: Shae Kubur and Gillian McKercher
Director: Gillian McKercher
Rebecca’s Room takes a more measured approach to the horror short format, opting for a character-driven focus and a tone heavy with melancholy and regret. The short follows three friends (Isra Abdelrahim, Shae Kubur, and Autumn Thom) as they attempt to communicate with their friend (Nyakong Yang) who recently died by suicide. While the film is not devoid of traditional scares, it’s the emotional storytelling and engaging performances that shine here.
Paragon
Writer/Director: Colin Treneff
I first caught Paragon via its 2023 Fantasia premiere and could not get it off of my mind for days after. This slice of vintage sci-fi/horror set in 1984 follow MIT student Jeremy (Jacob Ost) as he realizes he invented a computer program that can predict the future. What begins playfully devolves into a tech-terror nightmare for Jeremy, and Treneff ramps up the tension all the way until the short’s absolutely chilling finale.
Rhyme or Die
Writer: Alex Moran
Director: Max Lincoln
For those who like their horror with a genre-bending twist, Max Lincoln’s Rhyme or Die is likely to be just the ticket. This Saw-meets-Squid Game style tale centers on five kidnapped strangers (Racheal Ofori, Victor Alli, Mohammad Amiri, Samuel Blenkin, and Olumide Olorunfemi) who must freestyle rhymes to beats provided by their captor, Dynamo (Bethan Cullinane), or die. Rhyme or Die hits the ground running with its gleefully twisted premise, setting up a tense standoff that allows each of its players to shine even in brief performances as they trade off-the-cuff rhymes in a fight for their lives. Though the film premiered over 2 years ago, Alter–a horror community, platform, and launching pad for horror filmmakers–gave the film a proper home earlier this year. Rhyme or Die is a must-watch for fans of a bloody fun time!