Films classified as “short films” have a very short duration and, therefore, need to build a captivating narrative with a beginning, a middle and an end in a few minutes. Many independent productions see the Internet as an opportunity to popularize their stories when there isn’t a big budget, which can pay off if the work is well done and generates engagement. Next, check out four of the best horror shorts to watch for free on YouTube.
1. Lights Out (2013)
Despite the English title, the film does not feature speech between the characters, but rather ambient sounds, breathing and other noises in order to create an atmosphere of anguish. The story is very simple and fast, it intrigues the viewer from the first seconds and captures his attention.
Lights Out begins with an image of a woman leaving a room in her house, walking down the hall and turning off the lights. However, before turning completely and lying down on the bed in the room, she glimpses, at the end of the corridor, the silhouette of what appears to be a person. When she turns on the light, she notices that no one is there, and when she turns it off, she notices the unknown shape getting closer and closer.
The film’s plot was developed by David F. Sandberg, who directed, wrote, produced, filmed and edited. The short film was so successful that in 2016 it was adapted into a feature film directly in theaters.
2. The Ballerina (2021)
The work also does not feature dialogues between the characters, only sounds… but these sounds will send shivers down your spine. At the beginning we see a young woman enter a dance studio: the place is huge, well lit, full of mirrors and bars, and the girl is alone.
He begins to practice a few steps in one of the mirrors when he notices one of the chandeliers flickering strangely, as if the bulbs were about to burn out. Then, out of the corner of her eye, something catches her attention in the side mirror: she could swear his reflection made a different movement than his body. Then, after testing it for a long time, your reflection begins to move differently, almost as if it were another person.
Facing each other, the dancers found the interaction curious and tried to encourage each other to take a few steps. But unlike the original woman, the reflection doesn’t have as many physical abilities and, when she gets angry, she decides to break some of the dancer’s bones. The short film was released in 2021 and directed by Aaron Fradkin.
3. The Man on the Train (2021)
A woman walks around a train car until she finds a comfortable place to sit. She therefore seems interested in observing from afar the position of the other passengers and what they are talking about. Seconds later, she realizes that everyone has suddenly disappeared, except for one strange man.
This man has no visible features and around his eyes they are dark and blurry, as if they were two holes. Looking at him countless times to be sure of what she sees, she notices that the man reproduces strange movements and begins to approach, seat by seat, without making the slightest noise. Then, in the blink of an eye, he’s too close.
4. The Quiet Zone (2018)
This short film also involves a train, but the story takes place in more than one setting. It all starts when a passenger hears another person whistling in the sepulchral silence of the carriage and gets angry, shouting at him to shut up. A clanking of iron closing, like that of a tool, attracts her attention, and she gets scared, gets up and decides to leave.
As she walks away from the train, the whistle accompanies her and she hears footsteps. When she finally goes into hiding, she soon realizes that the worst thing she did to herself was complain about other people’s catcalls, because the perpetrator will find her and… he will whistle much closer than her. The short film was directed and written by Andrew Ionides.
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Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
