Editorials
Five Freaky Horror Short Films to Scare You
The tragedy of the short film is that, while it’s a necessary step in a filmmaker’s journey towards producing bigger projects (with these movies often requiring just as much effort as a feature), no one really tunes into the Oscars just to find out who won “best live-action short”.
You’d be hard-pressed to find a single theater that still screens short-form media outside of the festival scene, and as someone who’s made a fair number of short films in the past, I can guarantee you that this isn’t a very lucrative endeavor.
Yet, at least where genre movies are concerned, some of the very best filmmaking in the industry is currently happening within the short film circuit. In fact, I’d argue that many horror shorts are actually superior to their feature-length cousins, often precisely because of their more concise structure and budgetary limitations. In honor of these short-form frights, we’ve decided to highlight five freaky horror shorts that are worth a watch!
Like our previous articles recommending horror shorts, this list is purely based on personal opinion, but every film here stands out either because of its narrative prowess, overall visual style, or the presence of good old-fashioned scares. That being said, don’t forget to comment below with your own favorite horror shorts if you think we missed a particularly memorable one.
With that out of the way, onto the list!
5. My house walk-through (2016)
Liminal Horror only really took off in 2019 with the rise of the Backrooms phenomenon, but I’d argue that the genre’s seeds had already been planted years in advance at that point. A great example of this is PiroPito’s underrated found footage oddity, My house walk-through, a bizarre Japanese “home video” where an unseen man gives us a looping tour of his increasingly disturbing home.
PiroPito (also known as Nana825763) was already something of a horror icon after the release of Username: 666 back in 2008, but My house walk-through is a narratively dense nightmare that far surpasses the director’s previous work. That’s why this memorable short is still worth revisiting a decade later, not only as the grandfather of an entire genre but also as a legitimately fascinating piece of minimalist horror filmmaking in its own right.
4. Heck (2020)
Kyle Edward Ball may have made a name for himself with Skinamarink, but it’s his 2020 short Heck that first introduced the world to the filmmaker’s peculiar talent for liminal frights, lo-fi aesthetics, and surreal storytelling. And if you ask me, the 28-minute-long short is a superior product to its feature-length cousin precisely because of its streamlined structure.
While both movies are obviously meant to be enjoyed as eerie mood pieces, Heck feels narratively denser, making it more enjoyable for folks like myself who like their grainy nightmare fuel served with a healthy dose of freaky storytelling.
3. The Kid and the Camera (2022)
Analogue Horror sometimes gets a bad rap because of certain creators who attempt to emulate aging technology that they’re far too young to fully understand, but I don’t think it’s fair to judge a whole genre based on a handful of awkward examples. After all, projects like The Kid and the Camera prove that there are still unexpected thrills to be had when exploring the darker side of nostalgia.
Not only is Braiden Ortiz’s short an exceedingly authentic recreation of children’s programming from the 90s, but it’s also the only real successor to classic Creepypastas like the iconic Candle Cove, and that’s why it makes it onto the list.
2. La Última Campanada (2026)
Not only is Braiden Ortiz’s short an exceedingly authentic recreation of children’s programming from the 90s, but it’s also the only real successor to classic Creepypastas like the iconic Candle Cove, and that’s why it makes it onto the list. Animated horror is tough to get right. While some filmmakers think that sinking a ton of money into tinkering with the art style is all it takes to set up a spooky atmosphere, the fact remains that a good scary movie needs a good script, expensive animation or not. That’s why La Última Campanada (The Last Bell in English) is such a good time, as this indie production from Spain manages to translate all the gothic thrills of a traditional folk legend into a short yet satisfying experience.
The textures and animation may not be as smooth as something rendered by Pixar, but the subtle craftsmanship on display here more than makes up for that. From simulated split diopter shots to a narrative directly lifted from oral tradition, there’s a lot to love about this clever reinvention of the vourdalak myth.
(La Última Campanada is currently still screening at festivals, but it’ll be released online soon!)
1. Desdêmona (2025)
Cronenberg meets Kafka in this moody exploration of non-binary identity and insectoid body horror!
Desdêmona is likely the strangest movie on this list, with the filmmakers combining surreal visuals, meta storytelling (the main character even builds prosthetic props for horror movies!), and hand-crafted effects work in order to tell a unique story about a lonely individual undergoing an unexpected transformation.
That’s why I’d recommend this atmospheric Brazilian gem to all the weirdos out there – so long as you can handle the bug-themed imagery.
A new month means a new guide as titles are added (and dropped) from streaming services. Let’s unpack the most exciting titles that are available to watch on Tubi in July 2026.
New to Tubi July Horror Films
Deep Blue Sea (1999)
- Premise: Searching for a cure to Alzheimer’s disease, a group of scientists on an isolated research facility become the prey as a trio of intelligent sharks fight back.
- Why Watch It? Let’s be frank: Director Renny Harlin has made some absolute dogs in the last few years (the less said about The Strangers trilogy the better, though this year’s Deep Water was actually ok). Deep Blue Sea remains one of the Finnish director’s best contemporary efforts, though. Between the great cast (Samuel L. Jackson, Saffron Burrows, Stellan Skarsgård, Michael Rapaport, LL Cool J, Thomas Jane, and Jane’s sleeveless wetsuit), the ridiculous premise, and that damn/dumb song (“My hat is like a shark’s fin”), you basically can’t go wrong with Deep Blue Sea. It’s one of two great shark films gliding onto Tubi this month, so why not stay out of the water and watch this instead?
- Streaming: July 1
Exorcist II: Heretic (1977)
- Premise: Reagan (Linda Blair), a girl once possessed by a demon, finds that it still lurks within her. Meanwhile, Father Lamont (Richard Burton) investigates the death of the priest who performed her exorcism.
- Why Watch It? August sees the release of documentary Boorman and the Devil, which is about the troubled production of this sequel. The notoriety surrounding Heretic has undoubtedly kept plenty of horror fans away from the sequel, but this truly is a “seeing is believing” kind of film. Real talk: it’s undeniably a disaster, but the John Boorman film has also become a minor cult film. Don’t you want to see it to make up your own mind?
- Streaming: July 1
Hostel: Part III (2011)
- Premise: Four men attending a bachelor party in Las Vegas fall prey to the Elite Hunting Club, who are hosting a gruesome game show of torture.
- Why Watch It? What does Hostel look like without Eli Roth? Part III kinda answers the question. Technically Roth is still a writer, but he hands over the directorial reins to Scott Spiegel (best known for acting in Evil Dead films). The result is a film with a terrible pedigree; it’s also the first (and last) entry to skip theatres before the franchise was permanently shelved (until that TV show with Paul Giamatti shows up?). For some horror fans, however, there’s something exciting about a bad low-budget sequel. Just bear in mind that the Hostel: Part III‘s biggest star is Kip Pardue…so adjust your expectations accordingly before hitting play.
- Streaming: July 1
Insidious 1-3 (2010/2013/2015)
- Premise: A family looks to prevent evil spirits from trapping their comatose child in a realm called The Further.
- Why Watch It? It’s hard to believe that the sixth (!) Insidious movie is coming out in a month and a half, but James Wan and Leigh Whannell‘s other horror franchise has been steadily chugging along for sixteen years. It’s a shame that Tubi doesn’t have all five films available to watch, but in terms of quality, you can do far worse than the original trio. The first film is iconic, and the second is basically an extended coda (with some admittedly problematic stuff going on). I’ll go to bat for Whannell’s 2015 directorial debut, though: there’s a few banger sequences in that film that people slept on.
- Streaming: July 1
Man Finds Tape (2025)
- Premise: After finding mysterious video clips, siblings investigate the strange recordings and uncover a disturbing secret spreading through their Texas town.
- Why Watch It? Writer/directors Paul Gandersman and Peter S. Hall‘s well-received found footage film did an extensive tour of the festival circuit, so now is a great time to check out one of the most contemporary titles debuting on Tubi this month. Surely a title that hails from producers Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead (Spring and The Endless) is worth a free look?
- Streaming: July 2
Only Lovers Left Alive (2013)
- Premise: A depressed musician Adam (Tom Hiddleston) reunites with his lover Eve (Tilda Swinton). However, their romance, which has already endured several centuries, is disrupted by the arrival of her uncontrollable younger sister Ava (Mia Wasikowska).
- Why Watch It? This beautiful, melancholy vampire film is courtesy of writer/director Jim Jarmusch, who doesn’t often dabble in genre fare. As always, some will quibble if this artsy drama qualifies as horror, but the existential ennui of an eternal life certainly qualifies (bonus: there’s also something inherently sexy about watching Hiddleston and Swinton just lay about). Plus: if Leviticus has you hankering for more Wasikowska, this is an under the radar pick.
- Streaming: July 1
The Shallows (2016)
- Premise:A mere 200 yards from shore, surfer Nancy (Blake Lively) is attacked by a great white shark, with her short journey to safety becoming the ultimate contest of wills.
- Why Watch It? What better time to watch a shark movie than July? The temperatures are soaring and the idea of escaping into the water is so tantalizing. This tight, contained thriller features a great performance by Lively (and that damn seagull!), but it’s the direction from genre fave Jaume Collet-Serra (Orphan; the House of Wax remake) that keeps the movie clicking along like clockwork. At 86 minutes, this is a perfect summer flick.
- Streaming: July 1
Vacancy (2007)
- Premise: Stranded in an isolated motel, a couple (Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale) become the unsuspecting subjects of a snuff film.
- Why Watch It? I’m not going to pretend that this Nimród Antal-directed home invasion film is high art, but it is a good time. You’ll likely wish there were deeper characterizations for Wilson and Beckinsale’s David and Amy in Mark L. Smith‘s screenplay, but this mid-aughts thriller is tense, exciting, and just the right amount of grimy. Plus: another short runtime, clocking in at an expeditious 85 minutes!
- Streaming: July 1
July Tubi Originals
The One Next Door (2026)
- Premise: When a mysterious stranger moves in next door to Robert and Tabitha, boundaries are tested, loyalty is questioned, and danger comes for all.
- Streaming: July 10
I Know Where You Live (2026)
- Premise: Sarah thinks she’s found “the one” until his flaws emerge. When she pulls away, chilling threats suggest he’s watching her from inside her own home.
- Streaming: July 24
What’s your favorite from the list above? Will you check out the new Original? Sound off in the comments below
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