::THRILLING SHORT FILMS::
by Schwenkstar | created - 15 May 2014 | updated - 1 week ago | PublicTHE GIST OF THE LIST: A list of short films both new and old that feature twisty plots, thrilling scenarios, surprising revelations, and (at times) frightening horrors. Many of these small narratives would fit quite well in such programming as ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS or THE TWILIGHT ZONE. In addition, many of these short films can be seen for free on YouTube or Vimeo.
Even more short films: [link]http://vimeo.com/channels/1076863[/link]
[copy and paste the link into your web browser to watch]
[LISTED IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER]
OTHER LISTS:
CAMMANDO (MEN-ON-A-MISSION) THRILLERS
CON THRILLERS
COURTROOM THRILLERS
CULT EUROPEAN SUPERHERO MOVIES
DARK COMEDIES WITH PESKY CORPSES, BOTCHED KIDNAPPINGS, MURDEROUS BLUNDERS & ACCIDENTAL DEATHS
DEALS WITH THE DEVIL
DINNER PARTIES FROM HELL
DON'T PERFORM THE AUTOPSY! I'M NOT DEAD!
GOTHIC HORROR
HEIST THRILLERS
HEROIC BLOODSHED + BULLET BALLET + GUN-FU
HOLLYWOOD GIALLO (+ ITS OTHERS)
INNOCENT FUGITIVE ON-THE-RUN THRILLERS
ITALIAN GIALLO (+ ITS OTHERS)
LOCKED ROOM MYSTERIES + IMPOSSIBLE CRIMES
LO-FI SCI-FI
ONE ROOM THRILLERS
PARALLEL UNIVERSES, ALTERNATE REALITIES, FEVERISH DREAMS
POLICE PROCEDURALS
PRISON ESCAPE THRILLERS
RURAL-COUNTRY THRILLERS
THEOLOGICAL FILMS
THRILLING SHORT FILMS
THRILLING TV EPISODES
THRILLING TV MOVIES
UNKNOWN + UNAVAILABLE THRILLERS
VANISHED PERSON THRILLERS
- Instant Watch Options
- Genres
- Movies or TV
- IMDb Rating
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- Keywords
1. Suspense (1913)
Not Rated | 10 min | Short, Drama, Horror
Abandoned by her maidservant in an isolated country house, a mother must protect herself and her baby from an invading tramp while her husband races home in a stolen car to save them.
Directors: Phillips Smalley, Lois Weber | Stars: Lois Weber, Val Paul, Douglas Gerrard, Sam Kaufman
Votes: 2,191
MY TWO CENTS: The thriller distilled down to its essence. This silent film was ahead of its time, implementing every cinematic technique in the book (at the time) to ratchet up the thrills. Despite not offering much in plot, it's remarkable how well it holds up. 7
WATCH IT: [link]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Br1QcfAhypU[/link]
2. Il caso Valdemar (1936)
12 min | Short, Horror
A doctor performs an experiment on a dying man by placing him under hypnosis on his deathbed.
Directors: Gianni Hoepli, Ubaldo Magnaghi | Stars: Lav Kamenarovic, Gino Eprisi, Carlo Bissi, Vincenzo Gatti
Votes: 179
MY TWO CENTS: This silent film from Italy is an effective adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar" with cinematography and editing that's evocative of Sergei Eistenstein's work with an ending that is shockingly gory - even by today's standards! The lack of any soundtrack, however, hurts its effectiveness. 7
WATCH IT: [link]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3qGwCPKhdI[/link]
3. The Tell-Tale Heart (1941)
Approved | 20 min | Crime, Mystery, Short
In this classic Edgar Allan Poe story, a man commits a murder, but afterward the victim's beating heart torments the murderer's mind.
Director: Jules Dassin | Stars: Joseph Schildkraut, Roman Bohnen, Oscar O'Shea, Will Wright
Votes: 987
MY TWO CENTS: Solid adaptation of Poe's classic from the great Jules Dassin (RIFIFI) - straightforward, ably performed, and professionally executed. 8
WATCH IT: [link]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlTCXIJEj-c[/link]
4. The Stranger Left No Card (1952)
23 min | Short, Drama, Mystery
A strangely-garbed and eccentric-acting stranger arrives in a small English town. But, after several days on being in the town, the citizens accept him as a harmless, though a bit daft, ... See full summary »
Director: Wendy Toye | Stars: Alan Badel, Cameron Hall, Geoffrey Bayldon, Eileen Way
Votes: 246
MY TWO CENTS: Plays out like a long lost tale of ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS - starts off as a whimsical comedy until turning quite dark with a chilling twist. One of my favorites. 9
WATCH IT: [link]http://vimeo.com/71276534[/link]
5. The Tell-Tale Heart (I) (1953)
Passed | 8 min | Animation, Short, Crime
A madman tells his tale of murder, and how a strange beating sound haunted him afterward.
Director: Ted Parmelee | Stars: James Mason, Jack Mather
Votes: 2,213
MY TWO CENTS: Animated adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's classic tale of the macabre that is artfully realized with stark compositions and delirious camera effects; perhaps the best version of tale ever put on screen. 9
WATCH IT: [link]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccUTtxwLDTg[/link]
6. A Man on the Beach (1956)
29 min | Short, Drama
Director: Joseph Losey | Stars: Donald Wolfit, Michael Medwin, Michael Ripper, Edward Forsyth
Votes: 42
MY TWO CENTS: Directed by Joseph Losey and written by Jimmy Sangster, this short tale of crime features a man disguised as a woman who robs a casino, double crosses his partner, gets shot in the process, and makes a run for it... and that's not even the first ten minutes of the short! Not perfect, despite a slam-bang start as it becomes quite sluggish in the second half, but it does end on a nice twist ending. 6
WATCH IT: Unavailable
7. Ursula (1961)
Not Rated | 11 min | Short, Horror
Young Ursula plays in a tree and ruins her fancy dress. Her elderly mother teaches her a cruel lesson about whether things can ever be mended; what Ursula learns about how to behave may not be what her mother intended.
Director: Lloyd Michael Williams | Stars: Dorothea Griffin, Calvin Waters
Votes: 214
MY TWO CENTS: Written by Charles Beaumont (THE TWILIGHT ZONE), this arty, eerie tale of psychological horror may not be for everyone's tastes, but it may reward the more adventurous viewer. 7
WATCH IT: [link]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9Rys_RdYa4[/link]
8. La Jetée (1962)
Not Rated | 28 min | Short, Drama, Romance
The story of a man forced to explore his memories in the wake of World War III's devastation, told through still images.
Director: Chris Marker | Stars: Étienne Becker, Jean Négroni, Hélène Chatelain, Davos Hanich
Votes: 37,075
MY TWO CENTS My nomination for the greatest short film of all time. Beautiful, harrowing, spellbinding. Served as the inspiration for Terry Gillam's TWELVE MONKEYS. 10
WATCH IT: [link]http://vimeo.com/46620661[/link]
9. Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge (1961)
Not Rated | 28 min | Short, Adventure, Drama
In 1862, during the American Civil War, a Southern civilian is about to be hanged for attempting to sabotage a railway bridge. When the execution takes place from the bridge, the rope breaks and he begins his escape toward home.
Director: Robert Enrico | Stars: Roger Jacquet, Anne Cornaly, Anker-Spang Larsen, Stéphane Fey
Votes: 4,261
My TWO CENTS: Wonderfully crafted short that actually appeared on US television as an episode of THE TWILIGHT ZONE. Won the academy award for best short film. 9
WATCH IT: [link]http://vimeo.com/15147706[/link]
10. The Pit (1962)
28 min | Short, Horror
Director: Edward Abraham | Stars: Burt Letts, Dave Lloyd, Brian Peck
Votes: 88
My TWO CENTS: A surreal, nightmarish adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM. Clearly inspired by the dark, bold aesthetics of German Expressionism, this art film is quite possibly the greatest adaptation of the tale with its beautifully rendered photography, eerie sets, and disquieting sound design. 9
WATCH IT: Unavailable.
11. The Pit and the Pendulum (1964 TV Movie)
37 min | Horror
Adaptation of Edgar Poe's The Pit and the Pendulum.
Director: Alexandre Astruc | Star: Maurice Ronet
Votes: 151
My TWO CENTS: A French production of Edgar Allan Poe's THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM. Another solid production with atmospheric black-and-white cinematography, but it pales in comparison to Edward Abraham's version from 1962 if only because that one was executed to near perfection. 8
WATCH IT: [link]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmgspWSVyiw[/link] [NO SUBTITLES]
12. The Hangman (1964)
12 min | Animation, Short, Horror
A town is doomed to endless torment by the Hangman, who continues to kill off the town one by one. As more die, the town becomes more and more in disarray as the gallow grew each day.
Directors: Les Goldman, Paul Julian | Star: Herschel Bernardi
Votes: 220
MY TWO CENTS: Chilling animated film told in a rhyme pattern similar to Doctor Seuss... but only with a much darker and serious intention. Based on the poem by Maurice Ogden, the message is quite powerful and hard-hitting. 9
WATCH IT: [link]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqziaQxAsMA[/link]
13. Chcialbym sie ogolic (1966 TV Short)
17 min | Short, Thriller
While passing through a small town, a man decides to have a haircut at the local barber's.
Director: Andrzej Kondratiuk | Stars: Ignacy Gogolewski, Zdzislaw Maklakiewicz, Adam Pawlikowski
Votes: 86
MY TWO CENTS: This tale of a man going to a small town barber for a shave has a lovely air of menace that features a memorable climax and a neat little twist ending. A long lost buried gem. 8
WATCH IT: [link]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C01R48IiH7o[/link]
14. The Lottery (1969)
18 min | Short, Horror, Mystery
An adaptation of Shirley Jackson's short story of the same name, "The Lottery" tells the story of a shocking annual tradition in a small village.
Director: Larry Yust | Stars: Olive Dunbar, William 'Billy' Benedict, William Fawcett, Joe Haworth
Votes: 596
MY TWO CENTS Terrific adaptation of Shirley Jackson's classic chilling tale. 8
WATCH IT: [link]http://vimeo.com/65266252[/link]
15. Mask of the Red Death (1969)
10 min | Animation, Short, Horror
An animated adaptation of Poe's famous short story: "Mask of the Red Death"
Directors: Branko Ranitovic, Pavao Stalter
Votes: 136
MY TWO CENTS Surreal, artfully rendered adaptation of Poe's "The Masque of the Red Death" though less of a narrative and more of a feverish dream - it will delight some and bore others. 7
WATCH IT: [link]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpChGRqqFZY[/link]
16. Un couple d'artistes (1970)
13 min | Short, Horror
A young student meets an elderly antiques-loving couple looking for a help. They like her very much, and she's hired on the spot.
Director: Bruno Gantillon | Stars: Martine Deriche, Thalie Frugès, Paul Bonifas
Votes: 99
MY TWO CENTS A french film that plays out like a Roald Dahl short story directed by Roman Polanski. 8
WATCH IT: [link]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ajp6TBwNF34[/link]
17. The Grandmother (1970)
Not Rated | 34 min | Animation, Short, Horror
A young boy plants some strange seeds and they grow into a grandmother.
Director: David Lynch | Stars: Dorothy McGinnis, Richard White, Virginia Maitland, Robert Chadwick
Votes: 7,363
MY TWO CENTS An unsettling and strange tale from David Lynch that seems to be inspired by Franz Kafka and Francis Bacon - this one makes his later works (LOST HIGHWAY, MULHOLLAND DRIVE) seem straightforward in comparison. 8
WATCH IT: [link]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bAPEgFeNuw[/link]
18. The Tell-Tale Heart (1971)
27 min | Short, Drama, Horror
Director: Steve Carver | Stars: Alex Cord, Sam Jaffe, Edward Binns, Dennis Cross
Votes: 68
MY TWO CENTS Yet another adaptation of Poe's classic - this one is rougher around the edges but it also seems to convey the insanity a bit better (the blotchy black and white cinematography helps). 7
WATCH IT: [link]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pe0WyjiW5Ps[/link]
19. Beczka amontillado (1972 TV Movie)
25 min | Thriller
Deep beneath the streets of Italy lie the catacombs of the Montresors, filled with barrels of wine and the bones of the dead. One evening, friends Fortunado and Montresor venture below the ... See full summary »
Director: Leon Jeannot | Stars: Franciszek Pieczka, Henryk Boukolowski, Jolanta Lothe, Maciej Malek
Votes: 16
MY TWO CENTS Good but overlong adaptation of Poe's class narrative - a little dry. 6
WATCH IT: [link]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EscdHElJWYg[/link] [NO SUBTITLES]
20. La cabina (1972 TV Movie)
35 min | Drama, Horror
A man gets trapped inside a telephone box and nobody is able to free him.
Director: Antonio Mercero | Stars: José Luis López Vázquez, Agustín González, Goyo Lebrero, Tito García
Votes: 4,578
MY TWO CENTS: Perhaps the most notorious film on this list - a Spanish film that starts of as a surreal comedy of almost Fellini-esque proportions until plummeting into TWILIGHT ZONE horror of the most terrifying variety. My highest recommendation. 10
WATCH IT: [link]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CABpfvOgbjw[/link]
21. La femme qui se poudre (1972)
18 min | Short, Fantasy, Horror
A study of human anxieties about beauty, youth and objectification.
Director: Patrick Bokanowski | Stars: Jean-Jacques Choul, Jacques Delbosc d'Auzon, Claus-Dieter Reents, Nadine Roussial
Votes: 383
MY TWO CENTS: Eerie, surreal, experimental, abstract short film with a fusion of live action and animation that is silent with unsettling sound design. 8
WATCH IT: [link]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fk9nQG1J7Xs[/link]
22. Picknick (1977)
6 min | Short, Comedy, Thriller
A man drives his blind wife to a picnic spot he hopes she won't return from, but she won't get out of the car.
Director: Dick Maas | Stars: Henny Alma, Cor van Rijn
Votes: 73
MY TWO CENTS: Before director Dick Maas achieved international infamy with his schlock-classic THE LIFT, he made this delightful little tale concerning a husband trying to coax his blind wife out of the car... but why is he sweating and she's apprehensive? The final revelation is what makes this one memorable. 7
WATCH IT: [link]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nmtmr14k22U[/link] [NO SUBTITLES]
23. Panic (1978)
20 min | Short, Horror
A young model's boyfriend storms out one night. She follows him and, along the way, picks up an old woman standing at the roadside in the rain. But her act of kindness has terrible ... See full summary »
Director: James Dearden | Stars: Julie Neesam, Peter Blake, Avis Bunnage, Leonard Fenton
Votes: 135
MY TWO CENTS: Later remade as LEFT TURN by Sean Ellis - both are worthy of your attention - this is a delightfully eerie tale concerning marital strife, hitchhikers, and serial killers from the writer of FATAL ATTRACTION. 8
WATCH IT: [link]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mPxaPTX-_8[/link]
24. The Dumb Waiter (1979)
18 min | Short, Horror, Thriller
A stalker follows Sally home and attempts to break into her flat several times. How will he finally get to her?
Director: Robert Bierman | Stars: Geraldine James, John White, David Casey, Hilary Gasson
Votes: 96
MY TWO CENTS: What an obscure gem! Essentially a straight up giallo, complete with experimental score, threatening phone calls, a black gloved killer, a shaving razor, and a woman in distress. The kaleidoscopic editing, delirious music, and rich atmospherics elevate this above mere homage. Certainly worth a look! 8
WATCH IT: [link]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqhNjeHLIlY[/link]
25. China Lake (1983)
34 min | Short, Thriller
A police officer on vacation travels around on his motorcycle targeting nearby occupants of and travelers through China Lake.
Director: Robert Harmon | Stars: Charles Napier, William Sanderson, Mickey Jones, Gilmer McCormick
Votes: 259
MY TWO CENTS: Placeholder
WATCH IT: [link]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4n1JNWkI6k[/link]
26. Sleepwalker (1984)
51 min | Horror
Rich couple Angela & Richard travel to the home of brother and sister Alex and Marion for dinner but end up clashing with their hosts over their different views. And when a destructive ... See full summary »
Director: Saxon Logan | Stars: Joanna David, Nickolas Grace, Heather Page, Bill Douglas
Votes: 402
MY TWO CENTS: Longer than your typical short film at 50 minutes, this arty slasher has atmospheric cinematography and intelligent subtext but very little in terms of plot. 7
WATCH IT: Unavailable
27. Srazhenie (1986)
10 min | Animation, Short, Action
A man kills a toy designer and steals his latest product. The product, a mini-army complete with weapons, then wages war on the killer.
Director: Mikhail Titov
Votes: 224
MY TWO CENTS: Animated adaptation of Stephen King's fun story BATTLEGROUND is well-animated and surprisingly faithful to its source material. However, this was to be later outdone by Brian Henson in his superb adaptation for the series NIGHTMARES AND DREAMSCAPES. Still, this is a good one. 7
WATCH IT: [link]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0o_2PPsBw0[/link]
28. Poslední lup (1987)
Not Rated | 21 min | Animation, Short, Crime
A sarcastic story about a thief who becomes the victim of his own victims. His victims come from the other world and take his most precious possession - his blood. The phantasmal atmosphere... See full summary »
Director: Jirí Barta | Stars: Frantisek Husák, Zdenek Martínek, Ivan Vojtek, Martin Safr
Votes: 476
MY TWO CENTS: Jirí Barta's feverish nightmare. Slow, subdued, but has an undeniably haunting atmosphere of menace and dread. Be careful who you decide to steal from... 8
WATCH IT: [link]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Aew_Naz3cY[/link]
29. Out of Town (1989)
11 min | Short, Horror
A man out hiking in the countryside accidentally gets his foot stuck in a hole. Events become progressively worse.
Director: Norman Hull | Stars: David Morrissey, Major Wiley, Richard Ridings, John Cannon
Votes: 70
MY TWO CENTS: An out-of-towner is hitchhiking along a country road when his foot becomes stuck in a hole. The man can't get it out and none of the cars are stopping to help him. A simple premise leads to a surreal nightmare which descends into outright horror at its climax. Nominated for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. 7
WATCH IT: [link]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGJdh-6coQ4[/link]
30. Kitchen Sink (1989)
14 min | Short, Horror
A woman finds something quaint in her kitchen sink and feels strangely captivated towards it.
Director: Alison Maclean | Stars: Theresa Healey, Peter Tait, Annagretta Christian
Votes: 1,184
MY TWO CENTS: A perfect companion piece to David Lynch's ERASERHEAD - unnerving and surreal tale about a woman who finds some strands of hair in her kitchen sink that may be something much more ominous. 8
WATCH IT: [link]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs4eJgj4v8I[/link]
31. Corridor (1989)
7 min | Short, Horror, Adventure
A man, looking to buy a house, spells out the classifieds and discovers that he can win the house of his dreams: he goes there.
Director: Alain Robak | Stars: Jean-François Gallotte, Marie-Thérèse Caumont, Roger Zaconni
Votes: 70
MY TWO CENTS: A man has to survive a series of Rube-Goldberg-like death traps in an old mansion in order to acquire ownership of it - think HOME ALONE meets TALES FROM THE CRYPT and you'll have an idea of what to expect. 7
WATCH IT: [link]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqo9jdMUgMw[/link] [NO SUBTITLES]
32. Adrénaline (1990)
77 min | Horror
Adrénaline is a compilation of 13 short films: Metrovision, Revestriction, Graffiti, Elephant Cemetery, Traffic Jam, Corridor, Urgence, Interrogation, The Last Fly, T.V. Buster, Cyclops, Physical Sculpture and The Blind.
Directors: Anita Assal, Barthélémy Bompard, Philippe Dorison, John Hudson, Jean-Marie Maddeddu, Yann Piquer, Alain Robak | Stars: Clémentine Célarié, Franck Baruk, Alain Aithnard, Barthélémy Bompard
Votes: 250
MY TWO CENTS: A collection of short films of varying quality - some good and some not so good - and include such tales as "Corridor" (above) and "Revestriction" (below). However, one film to note is a short tale called "Embouteillages" (which IMDB doesn't have an entry for) - it's an interesting spin on "The Phone Box" concerning people who find themselves locked in their cars which seem to be alive and driving their passengers somewhere most horrifying... 7
WATCH IT: [link]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_UdNjTlM3U[/link] [NO SUBTITLES]
33. Revestriction (1990)
5 min | Short, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Director: Barthélémy Bompard | Star: Bernadette Coqueret
Votes: 56
MY TWO CENTS: Short, absurd tale of a woman in bed who begins to notice that the ceiling is slowly descending towards her... A simple, surreal premise that generates a solid sense of desperation with a strange twist in its tail. Won the jury prize for best short film at Cannes. 7
WATCH IT: [link]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3S8Tskmp_CA[/link]
34. Mirindas asesinas (1990)
12 min | Short, Horror, Thriller
A man comes into a bar in which there's only one other customer and asks the bartender to serve him a Mirinda (a Spanish orange drink). But then he refuses to pay for it, saying that the ... See full summary »
Director: Álex de la Iglesia | Stars: Álex Angulo, Saturnino García, José Antonio Álvarez, Ramón Barea
Votes: 1,108
MY TWO CENTS: Placeholder
WATCH IT: [link]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyalEElkIXc[/link]
35. The Sandman (1991)
10 min | Animation, Short, Fantasy
Upstairs, in the moonlit and empty room, a little boy scared of the dancing shadows, encounters a figment of his vivid imagination: the horrible Sandman.
Director: Paul Berry
Votes: 1,535
MY TWO CENTS: Reminiscent of the animated films of Tim Burton, this is a surprisingly dark fairy tale. 7
WATCH IT: [link]https://vimeo.com/23506050[/link]
36. Capitaine X (1994)
13 min | Short, Comedy, Sci-Fi
A point of view shot of a man waking up as the prisoner of a ragtag team of maniacal murderous mercenaries.
Director: Jan Kounen | Stars: Abel Aboualiten, Dominique Bettenfeld, Rodolph Freytt, Eric Laugérias
Votes: 197
MY TWO CENTS: Kinetic short which melds sci-fi, action, and comedy into one bizarre, stylish package which is told entirely from the POV of a single character who never talks and has a strange talent to not die no matter how many times he's shot, stabbed, and blown up. 8
WATCH IT: [link]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7MD5_wSmHs[/link]
37. Ponchada (1994)
14 min | Short, Crime, Thriller
A car with a flat tire in the middle of a lonely road. A chain-smoking woman is waiting in the driver's seat. Suddenly, a car approaches. The driver (a somber menacing man) offers to help ... See full summary »
Director: Alejandra Moya | Stars: Lisa Owen, Jesús Ochoa, Adriana Olivera, Jesús Pérez
Votes: 49
MY TWO CENTS: I've seen the gag done before but I was still surprised by this neat little thriller. 7
WATCH IT: [link]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ctp7UGKgc7g[/link] [NO SUBTITLES]
38. Suspicious (1994)
15 min | Short, Horror, Thriller
A woman drives down an eerie highway at night in search of hospitality and come across some suspicious townsfolk and a little more than she bargained for..
Director: David Koepp | Stars: Janeane Garofalo, Bob Batt, Stephen Blake, Donald Boggs
Votes: 282
MY TWO CENTS: One of my absolute favorites only because it has one of those endings where, even knowing there's going to be a twist, you are incapable of guessing it until it happens. It's like a good joke, where the punchline comes our of left field and leaves you in stiches. 9
WATCH IT: [link]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LtSENnoDhc[/link]
39. Verfolger (1995)
7 min | Short, Horror
Director: Sebastian Niemann | Stars: Julia Haacke, Klaus Stiglmeier, Rainer Matsutani
Votes: 42
MY TWO CENTS: A hitchhiker attempts to get a ride from an ominous black van, but its driver seems to have malevolent intentions. Standard thriller premise is made interesting with black and white photography as well as dialogue-free execution. Its twist ending, while having the merit of being completely unpredictable, is also completely silly. 7
WATCH IT: [link]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oFNk1IQdoM[/link]
40. The Black Cat (1995)
18 min | Crime, Horror, Mystery
The story takes place in a prison where a prisoner tells the tale of how he killed his wife to an inquisitor. He claims that he was driven to do the crime by the presence of her evil, satanic black cat...
Director: Rob Green | Stars: David Kincaid, Clive Perrott, Mark Webb
Votes: 83
MY TWO CENTS: Some may not appreciate that this short film is essentially just a recitation of Poe's classic tale (i.e. a man speaks to the camera for most of the time) but the atmosphere surrounding the actor enhances key elements within the narrative. Not exciting but interesting. 6
WATCH IT: [link]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKN_I6ouswg[/link]
41. Force spéciale (1995)
16 min | Fantasy, Short, Thriller
On Christmas eve, Lieutenant Lucas's telephone keeps ringing. He can't tell who's calling until he notices, through his window, a strange creature who can't help but making phone calls...
Director: Pierre Ferrière | Stars: Yan Epstein, Pascaline Girardot
Votes: 14
MY TWO CENTS: A Christmas themed psychological thriller that is evocative of the style one might find in an episode of TALES FROM THE CRYPT. 7
WATCH IT: [link]https://vimeo.com/27115696[/link] [NO SUBTITLES]
42. Joyride (1996)
G | 10 min | Short, Thriller
The electrifying journey of a cable repairman at the hands of two lunatic joy riders. In the middle of night, in the middle of winter and, yes, in the middle of nowhere.
Director: Jim Gillespie | Stars: Christopher Fulford, Frank Gallagher, David MacKay, Carolyn Bonnyman
Votes: 340
MY TWO CENTS: A straight forward thriller concerning a man who stumbles upon a crime scene and the criminals who put him in their trunk. Well executed with moments of suspense but unfortunately no real surprises. 6
WATCH IT: [link]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LZouIUcOSo[/link]
43. Freestyle (I) (1996)
12 min | Short, Thriller, Drama
A man is brutally murdered in a swimming pool. The only witness, Mrs Moore, refuses to tell the police what she has seen. Why? The answer lies in Mrs Moore's past.
Director: David Lowe | Stars: Mary-Lou Stewart, Roy Billing, Monique Spanbrook, Greg Blandy
Votes: 18
MY TWO CENTS: A police detective interrogates a woman concerning a murder at the pool. Well performed with clever editing; thrills are subdued, favoring character complexity over action. Worth a look. 7
WATCH IT: [link]https://vimeo.com/15206503[/link]
44. Red Rain (1996)
13 min | Thriller, Short
Suspense film from the "Cine 100" series about a deserted motel, a woman with a broken-down car, a shower curtain and a knife.
Director: Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. | Stars: Roef Ragas, Kim van Kooten
Votes: 49
MY TWO CENTS: Atmospheric black and white photography, taut direction, and a clever final reveal makes this a solid Hitchcockian gem. 8
WATCH IT: [link]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbbZzTO-zfQ[/link] NO SUBTITLES
45. The Bloody Olive (1997)
12 min | Crime, Short, Comedy
Mylene and Werner are going to make their flat up for Christmas. Then Sam comes with a bottle of Veuve Cliqot. Sam tells Werner that he knows Werner has stolen money at work. Werner murders... See full summary »
Director: Vincent Bal | Stars: Veerle van Overloop, Frank Focketyn, Gene Bervoets, Guy Dermul
Votes: 572
MY TWO CENTS: An absolute hoot, this delicious send-up of noir tropes is hilarious with about a dozen or so plot twists to ensure it's wildly unpredictable. 9
WATCH IT: [link]http://vimeo.com/12487814[/link]
46. Doodlebug (1997)
Not Rated | 3 min | Short, Fantasy, Mystery
In his squalid apartment, a man tries to squash with his shoe an insect of some kind that is moving around the room.
Director: Christopher Nolan | Star: Jeremy Theobald
Votes: 19,041
MY TWO CENTS: From the director of "Memento", this is a rather strange film concerning a man trying to crush... well, "something" with a shoe. 7
WATCH IT: [link]http://vimeo.com/24460574[/link]
47. Elevated (1996)
Not Rated | 17 min | Short, Horror, Mystery
Ben and Ellen are thrust into adventure when Hank, a blood covered security man of the building rushes into their elevator, claiming that there's a dangerous creature in the building.
Director: Vincenzo Natali | Stars: Vickie Papavs, Bruce McFee, David Hewlett
Votes: 935
MY TWO CENTS: Classic TWILIGHT ZONE inspired short from the director of CUBE. Tricky and claustrophobic from beginning to end, this one demands a viewing. 9
WATCH IT: [link]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-uUJ1p0rck[/link]
48. Nightride (1997)
11 min | Horror, Short
In the dark streets of suburbia, a young man catches a Nightride bus only to find himself trapped by a masked man who murders the driver and takes control of the wheel. He must escape, but at what price?
Director: Martin Murphy | Stars: Brett Wood, John Bridson, Nicholas Cassim, Philip Holder
Votes: 20
MY TWO CENTS: Aussie thriller concerning a young man who gets on the bus in the middle of the night... and the back passenger looks especially creepy. Straight-forward, no-nonsense suspense piece that climaxes to a tense stand-off but its unfortunately marred by a rather routine twist ending. 7
WATCH IT: [link]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y--sZ8-ChH4[/link]
49. Bobby Loves Mangos (1998)
21 min | Sci-Fi, Short, Thriller
An elementary school principal arrives at school to find a video tape that is sent from the "future". The tape is from Bobby, age 40. But in the present time, Bobby is in elementary school ... See full summary »
Director: Stuart Acher | Stars: Frank Ridley, Paula Plum, Ken Cheeseman, John Los
Votes: 198
MY TWO CENTS: Imperfect but nevertheless absorbing tale of whether or not a VHS recording was sent from the future. 6
WATCH IT: [link]http://vimeo.com/37147112[/link]
50. Drive (I) (1998)
21 min | Thriller, Short
A son tries to transport a stolen kidney for his ill father across the country.
Director: Adam Turner | Stars: T.J. Blitz, Marc Miles, Kevin Wiggins, Dominique Pressman
Votes: 27
MY TWO CENTS: Starts off with a bang - a man wakes up naked in a tub full of ice with a gaping wound in his side - but the rest of the film is more concerned with the surreal mishaps of a son trying to transport the stolen kidney to his ill father, whose exploits are humorous and have an air of tension about them but seem to lack the visceral thrills of the opening. Still, the grainy effect of the film stock does much to enhance the experience of the film. 6
WATCH IT: [link]https://vimeo.com/39142426[/link]
51. Genesis (I) (1998)
30 min | Short, Horror
A sculptor is traumatized by the death of his wife in a car accident. He builds a sculpture in her memory. As the lifelike sculpture begins to bleed through the cracks of clay, the sculptor's flesh mutates and crumbles away...
Director: Nacho Cerdá | Stars: Pep Tosar, Trae Houlihan
Votes: 1,848
MY TWO CENTS: Director Nacho Cerdà stirred controversy with his exploitative short AFTERMATH, but this one is a much more subdued affair - haunting, bittersweet, and tragic. Not particularly exciting but the themes come through well enough. 7
WATCH IT: [link]https://vimeo.com/45600947[/link]
52. Larger Than Life (1997)
13 min | Short, Action, Comedy
A young woman battles against a series of giant spiders, spawned by toxic waste, in her new suburban home.
Director: Ellory Elkayem | Stars: Rebecca Hobbs, Jeremy Callaghan, Patrick Wilson, Hamish Gough
Votes: 327
MY TWO CENTS: A fun homage to 1950s B-monster movies... Silly but entertaining. 7
WATCH IT: [link]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YgRcaEbQYE[/link]
53. Lift (1998)
10 min | Short, Thriller
Dating with a gangster's girlfriend is never wise, but when trouble arises the elevator can be a perfect hiding place.
Director: Ina Lüders | Stars: Cia Berg, Rocco Barker, Chick Ortega, Nick Marsh
Votes: 19
MY TWO CENTS: A dialogue-free screwball comedy-thriller about a man on the run from a hit man for dating a gangster's girl. He decides to hide out in an elevator and a whole string of complications ensue. Witty but admittedly silly. 6
WATCH IT: [link]https://vimeo.com/111114177[/link]
54. El trabajo (1999)
15 min | Short
Directors: Igor Legarreta, Emilio Pérez Pérez | Stars: Mariví Bilbao, Pepo Oliva
MY TWO CENTS: A Polanskian psychological thriller about the slow mental deterioration of a man in an apartment... or is there really malevolent forces at work? Featuring a solid central performance and stylish cinematography, this film lacks the horrific imagery of Roman Polanski or the plotting of Alfred Hitchcock to make it a true classic, but it's worth a view. 6
WATCH IT: [link]https://vimeo.com/69578812[/link] [NO SUBTITLES]
55. A Quiet Night (2000)
15 min | Short, Thriller
Late one night, a taxi driver is hijacked. Caught in a struggle between money and murder, will he live to see another day?
Director: David Reid | Stars: Stephen Hall, Victor Rodger, Eryn Strachan, Pehi Tahu
Votes: 8
MY TWO CENTS: A fun crime thriller with a bevy of twist and turns which take place over a course of the night. Not perfect - the director strangely implements distracting freeze frames from time to time - but the quick pacing and the constant tension makes this quite an engrossing short. 7
WATCH IT: [link]https://vimeo.com/73279637[/link]
56. The Dreamer (2000)
15 min | Short, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Set in a future past, a haggard military Clone awaits his fate in a grim termination plant. As his inevitable death draws closer, his dreams of escape turn into reality...
Director: Miguel Sapochnik | Stars: Stuart Bowman, Indra Ové, Joerg Stadler
Votes: 67
MY TWO CENTS: Just like the short film EXIT ROOM, this is a sci-fi tinged adaptation of AN OCCURRENCE AT OWL CREEK. Interesting with slick production values but emotionally cold. 7
WATCH IT: [link]https://vimeo.com/55460151[/link]
57. Left Turn (2001)
TV-MA | 15 min | Short, Horror
On a dark, rainy night, a girl drives home and picks up an elderly woman who seems to be in trouble. She begins to doubt her good deed when something about her traveling companion begins to seem very strange to her.
Director: Sean Ellis | Stars: Lucy Russell, Andrew Tiernan, Heather-Jay Jones, Howard Ward
Votes: 178
MY TWO CENTS: A solid remake of PANIC from 1978 - more slick, stylized, and horrifying than the original, but lacks the original's restraint. That said, both are cracker jack yarns. 8
WATCH IT: [link]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6j_dkFz408[/link]
58. The Other Son (2001)
8 min | Fantasy, Short, Thriller
Director: Heng Tang | Stars: Alex Hughes, Sebastian Lamour, Stuart Robinson, Jane Hampson
Votes: 25
MY TWO CENTS: Similar to THE TWILIGHT ZONE episode "Person Or Persons Unknown," a boy comes home to find that he's been seemingly replaced by another boy... or did he? 6
WATCH IT: [link]http://www.aftrs.edu.au/showcase/students-and-films/video/0_sp0tq1ta[/link]
59. Schneider's 2nd Stage (2001)
17 min | Short, Thriller
Which way lies madness? A man named Joe drives his Land Rover into a remote field. The purpose of his trip is obscure. Is he scouting a location? Has he been sent by someone to check out ... See full summary »
Director: Phil Stoole | Stars: Kenneth Branagh, Gerard Horan, Jimmy Yuill, Fiona Woolley
Votes: 114
MY TWO CENTS: Kenneth Branagh stars, so suffice to say the lead performance is top notch. The ending is a little underwhelming, but the build up is psychologically suspenseful in the Hitchcockian tradition. 7
WATCH IT: [link]http://vimeo.com/87178736[/link]
60. The Cat with Hands (2001)
16+ | 4 min | Animation, Short, Fantasy
The dark, surreal story of a cat who wants to be human.
Director: Robert Morgan | Stars: Livy Armstrong, Daniel Hogwood-Kane, Victoria Hayes
Votes: 2,039
MY TWO CENTS: Bizarre, creepy short that's part live action and part animation. Not sure how someone came up with the concept of having a cat with human hands come from a well and steal the face of a boy, but there you go... 7
WATCH IT: [link]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4PR9NZlAB4[/link]
61. To Have and to Hold (2001)
13 min | Short, Horror
After a car accident a woman finds herself deep in the woods with her dead stiff friend still holding her hand.
Director: John Hardwick | Stars: Susanne Lothar, Paul Davies, David Boyd, Marc Galanti
Votes: 67
MY TWO CENTS: It will remind you of that ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS episode "Breakdown" only more downbeat, more sad... and more gruesome. 7
WATCH IT: [link]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsVRc5XwlKU[/link]
62. Bill's Seat (2002)
15 min | Short, Thriller
In the tradition of Roald Dahl or O.Henry, this strange little psychological thriller begins when a New Yorker stops in a small Pennsylvania town with a flat tire only trapped in the local ... See full summary »
Director: Karl Shefelman | Stars: Michael Fragale, Dep Kirkland, King Kong Bundy, Pietro González
Votes: 16
MY TWO CENTS: The acting waivers and the direction is sometimes rough around the edges, but the story is surprisingly gripping and becomes quite tense as it builds up its claustrophobic atmosphere, culminating in a nice twist ending. 7
WATCH IT: [link]https://vimeo.com/65094520[/link]
63. Brasil (2002)
18 min | Fantasy, Short, Crime
Otto, a blue production line worker, discovers the infidelity of his wife, Sarah. The day before their separation, he begins a macabre and twisted revenge...
Director: F. Javier Gutiérrez | Stars: Pep Guinyol, Juanjo Artero, Isabel Pintor, Mulie Jarju
Votes: 116
MY TWO CENTS: A jilted husband seeks revenge on his cheating spouse but complications ensue. After a rather bizarre opening (which makes it appear to be a horror film, which it isn't) it becomes a quite humorous comedy of errors with a pleasing twist in its tail. 8
WATCH IT: [link]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sErrf98qJ1U[/link]
64. Inside (I) (2002)
8 min | Short, Horror, Mystery
The greatest battle that one can ever fight is the one that takes place within the mind; perspective, perception and control are the weapons used in this particular conflict.
Director: Trevor Sands | Stars: Jeremy Sisto, Reedy Gibbs, Michael Bailey Smith, Alexandra Brandl
Votes: 1,261
MY TWO CENTS: A man with multiple personality disorder - which are real and which are not? Starring the always versatile Jeremy Sisto, this short may ultimately be inconsequential but its nevertheless interesting. 6
WATCH IT: [link]http://vimeo.com/27387850[/link]
65. Neo-Noir (2002)
TV-PG | 10 min | Short
In his homage to film noir, a man learns that cheaters can wind up dead.
Director: Chase Palmer | Stars: Sean Kelly, Frances Chewning, Robert Youngs, Noelle Gentile
Votes: 108
MY TWO CENTS: A fun, noir-ish tale told in a no-nonsense documentary style ala HE WALKS BY NIGHT - a fun and twisty ride. 8
WATCH IT: [link]http://vimeo.com/8898869[/link]
66. 7:35 de la mañana (2003)
8 min | Musical, Short
A woman enters a restaurant one morning - only to be met with silence instead of people talking.
Director: Nacho Vigalondo | Stars: Marta Belenguer, Nacho Vigalondo, Antonio Tato, Borja Cobeaga
Votes: 2,602
MY TWO CENTS: Oscar-nominated short film that infuses the musical, the comedy, and the thriller genres together. Probably my second favorite short film of all time. 10
WATCH IT: [link]http://vimeo.com/36470597[/link]
67. Buried (2003)
7 min | Short, Comedy, Crime
Two men try to bury a body.
Director: Tim Bullock | Stars: Clayton Jacobson, Jason Gann
Votes: 80
MY TWO CENTS: A dark comedy from the land of down under regarding two argumentative roommates who have a very difficult time burying a body. Funny with ironic twists. 7
WATCH IT: [link]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kLJMUac0Mc[/link]
68. El tren de la bruja (2003)
Not Rated | 18 min | Short, Fantasy, Horror
A man volunteers to take part in an experiment that attempts to analyse human behaviour under extreme conditions of terror. His mission is to remain seated inside a dark room for a length ... See full summary »
Director: Koldo Serra | Stars: Manolo Solo, Jon Ariño, Héctor Alterio, Nacho Marcos
Votes: 542
MY TWO CENTS: Written by Nacho Vigalondo (TIME CRIMES and the short 7:35 IN THE MORNING), this TWILIGHT ZONE stylized short seems to be about a science experiment which analyzes a man's reaction to terrifying situations... but nothing is at it seems. 8
WATCH IT: [link]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYz5Jf6f6dY[/link] [NO SUBTITLES]
69. Underground (2003)
TV-PG | 11 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
A white woman riding the subway system begins to suspect that two non-white men are following her.
Directors: Kristin Dehnert, Aimee Lagos | Stars: Anne Ramsay, Shaun Toub, Dwayne Wycoff, Billy Gillespie
Votes: 141
MY TWO CENTS: A straight forward thriller concerning a woman being followed by two men on the subway. Slick direction with an interesting twist in its tale keeps this one interesting, even though by the time its all over it seems to lack a certain je ne sais quoi. 6
WATCH IT: [link]http://www.break.com/video/ugc/underground-short-film-by-kristen-dehnert-aimee-lagos-551043[/link]
70. Ward 13 (2003)
15 min | Animation, Short, Comedy
Ben, our main character, wakes up in an unusual hospital after seemingly landing on an asphalt road due to a car collision. He later wakes up to the sound of dog barking and decides to ... See full summary »
Director: Peter Cornwell | Stars: Brett Archer, Ren Klyce
Votes: 717
MY TWO CENTS: Fun animated tale which is a send-up of thriller tropes. Very entertaining. 8
WATCH IT: [link]https://youtu.be/ihkaDQFivrM[/link]
71. Wet Shave (2003)
10 min | Crime, Short, Thriller
Wet Shaving - Thriller.
Director: Boris Schaarschmidt | Stars: Bob Franco, Birgit Meyer, Chris J. Milo
Votes: 56
MY TWO CENTS: Truly feels like an episode of ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS - it's even in black and white! Nothing is as it seems in this unpredictable, Hitchcockian crime drama. 9
WATCH IT: [link]http://vimeo.com/95778567[/link]
72. What About the Bodies (2003)
7 min | Short, Mystery
Mystery and misfortune, in spades.
Director: Simon Ellis | Stars: Allen Mechen, Ishbel Nicol, Philip Webster
Votes: 76
MY TWO CENTS: A comedy of errors about a man trying to bury a body with many complications. Entertaining but admittedly inconsequential. 7
WATCH IT: [link]http://vimeo.com/27181006[/link]
73. Get the Picture (2004)
9 min | Short, War
Two war correspondents are escorted to a recently bombed town. The apparent perpetrators are about to be executed in front of a baying mob of survivors. One journalist doubts the guilt of ... See full summary »
Director: Rupert Wyatt | Stars: Brian Cox, Lloyd Owen, Hosh Kane, Antony Bunsee
Votes: 89
MY TWO CENTS: More of a thrilling drama than an outright thriller, this short tale of photo-journalists in a war-torn country addresses the moral ambiguities between documentation and toleration of war-time atrocities. 8
WATCH IT: [link]http://vimeo.com/37403291[/link]
74. Gorgonas (2004)
14 min | Animation, Short, Fantasy
A retake on the classic story of the gorgons brought forward to the modern world and turned into an apocalyptic horror story.
Director: Salvador Sanz | Stars: Sebastián Ramseg, Lorena Suárez
Votes: 123
MY TWO CENTS: A wonderfully original and epic animated tale of a post-apocalyptic world brought about by ancient Greek mythology, pop-singers, strange surgeries, and media frenzy. This needs to be made into a feature-length film - this short only scratches the surface of its richly defined world. 9
WATCH IT: [link]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPO106yW7lU[/link] [NO SUBTITLES]
75. Tramper (2004)
14 min | Short, Thriller
After a student picks up a hitchhiker in his dad's Jag, radio reports warn of an escaped psychopath from a local prison and that drivers should not stop for anyone. The student driver ... See full synopsis »
Director: Ivar Leon Menger | Stars: Fabian Busch, Justus von Dohnányi, Timo Dierkes, Florian Harz
Votes: 101
MY TWO CENTS: German short that takes a classic thriller premise - is a hitchhiker an escaped lunatic - and turns it on its head with unpredictable results. 8
WATCH IT: [link]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1xBrhD5L7I[/link] [NO SUBTITLES]
76. Projektionen (2004)
18 min | Mystery, Short, Thriller
Director: Boris Schaarschmidt | Stars: Jürg Löw, Sabine Postel, Ulrich Schmissat, Carole Schmitt
Votes: 35
MY TWO CENTS: From the director of WET SHAVE comes another tantalizing thriller about a woman who begins to see the same person in all her old photos - has someone been following her for years whilst unaware? The premise immediately grabs you but unfortunately the resolution is underwhelming. 6
WATCH IT: [link]http://vimeo.com/99883249[/link]
77. Screwback (2004)
9 min | Thriller, Short
Director: Brian O'Malley | Stars: Liam Cunningham, Ger Carey, Kit M. Tsang, Anna Sneyd
Votes: 68
MY TWO CENTS: Routine crime story improved by a slick direction and a strong lead performance from the always reliable Liam Cunningham. 6
WATCH IT: [link]https://vimeo.com/111102947[/link]
78. 9 (2005)
Not Rated | 11 min | Animation, Short, Adventure
A rag doll fights a monster that has been stealing the souls of his people.
Director: Shane Acker
Votes: 6,857
MY TWO CENTS: Fascinating animated short that builds a unique and interesting world. The plot is rather slight - this is clearly a proof-of-concept work as it was later expanded successfully into a feature - but it's still worth a viewing. 6
WATCH IT: [link]https://vimeo.com/20161592[/link]
79. Across the Hall (2005)
25 min | Short, Drama, Horror
Director: Alex Merkin | Stars: Adrian Grenier, James Aaron Oliver, Jamie Benge, Natalie Smyka
Votes: 163
MY TWO CENTS: Clever little thriller concerning infidelity, jilted lovers, and murderous intentions with a few twists keeping the proceedings lively - one could easily see this on ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS. However, it ends rather abruptly. It was later expanded into a feature length film but the short is much superior. 7
WATCH IT: [link]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BidbnmrhsLg[/link]
80. The Call of Cthulhu (2005)
Not Rated | 47 min | Horror, Mystery
While sorting the affairs of his late Uncle, a man accidentally stumbles across a series of dark secrets connected to an ancient horror waiting to be freed.
Director: Andrew Leman | Stars: Matt Foyer, John Bolen, Ralph Lucas, Chad Fifer
Votes: 8,900
MY TWO CENTS: Probably the most successful adaptation of a HP Lovecraft story so far, this artfully rendered gem is told as a silent film and captures the spirit and adventure of a Lovecraftian tale perfectly. It's marred only by low production values, but typically this fact is well disguised throughout. 8
WATCH IT: Unavailable
81. El punto ciego (2005)
10 min | Short, Crime, Drama
Directors: Álex Montoya, Raúl Navarro | Stars: Juanjo Díaz Polo, Pedro González Del Valle, Alba Gárate, Alejandro Marzal
Votes: 64
MY TWO CENTS: Thriller told in split screen like old-school Brian DePalma concerning a woman and a serial killer. Simple, straight-forward tale with no real surprises but the execution is a marvel. 7
WATCH IT: [link]https://vimeo.com/36380101[/link]
82. Monster (I) (2005)
10 min | Short, Horror, Thriller
A mother battles with her son's fear of a monster lurking in the closet, but soon discovers a sinister presence all around her.
Director: Jennifer Kent | Stars: Susan Prior, Luke Ikimis-Healey, Trash Vaudeville
Votes: 1,260
MY TWO CENTS: Director Jennifer Kent would go on to expand this short film into a feature as the critically-lauded BABADOOK. This version is much more simple (naturally) and tells the story of a mother battling... something... that is terrorizing her child. The imagery is truly frightening, especially when she looks into the closet. *shudder* 8
WATCH IT: [link]http://vimeo.com/39042148[/link]
83. Rógairí (2005)
15 min | Short, Horror
In 1763, an evil landlord vies to inherit the Rotherham estate by diabolical means. His treacherous crimes are witnessed by supernatural forces who undertake a terrible revenge against him.
Director: Tom Cosgrove | Stars: Colm O'Maonlai, Fiona O'Shaughnessy, Tony McKenna, Enda Oates
Votes: 30
MY TWO CENTS: Period horror drama set in Victorian Ireland, spoken mostly in Gallic, and features murderous husbands, vengeful spirits, and horrible curses. 7
WATCH IT: [link]http://vimeo.com/23037775[/link]
84. Still Life (III) (2005)
9 min | Short, Horror, Sci-Fi
A pill-popping, over-caffeinated driver accidentally hits something. Panic-stricken, he searches for help in a strange and desolate town that offers very little in the form of human kindness.
Director: Jon Knautz | Stars: Trevor Matthews, Kyle Brydges, Joe Newton, Sam Pollack
Votes: 1,120
MY TWO CENTS: TWILIGHT ZONE-inspired short about a man who enters a town where everyone is mannequins... and they seem to only move when you don't look at them. It's twist ending is actually quite disturbing while being emotionally effective. 7
WATCH IT: [link]http://vimeo.com/32198276[/link]
85. The Eyes of Edward James (2006)
Not Rated | 15 min | Short, Horror
Shot in the tradition of Alfred Hitchcock, THE EYES OF EDWARD JAMES tells the story of Edward, a patient regressed into the traumatic memory of the evening that his wife, Sarah, is brutally... See full summary »
Director: Rodrigo Gudiño | Stars: Shahla Kareen, Tal Zimerman, Richard Underhill, Robert Fidler
Votes: 151
MY TWO CENTS: Hitchcockian tale told from the point of view of its main character, Edward James - are we seeing the man's memories, his fantasies, or perhaps even the future? Leaves much unanswered but in the most tantalizing and teasing manner. 8
WATCH IT: Unavailable
86. Lump (2006)
12 min | Short, Horror, Thriller
Every time Christine gets a lump removed, another appears. Increasingly disturbed, she begins to suspect her surgeon is a lot less benign than her tumours.
Director: Faye Jackson | Stars: Lara Belmont, Anne Bird, Dominic Burgess, Philip Harvey
Votes: 27
MY TWO CENTS: Placeholder
WATCH IT: Unavailable
TRAILER: [link]https://vimeo.com/83893029[/link]
87. Oculus: Chapter 3 - The Man with the Plan (2006)
32 min | Short, Horror
A man sets out to prove an antique mirror is haunted.
Director: Mike Flanagan | Stars: Scott Graham, Brandyn Feldman, Joe Wicker, Matthew Reynolds
Votes: 889
MY TWO CENTS: Later adapted into a feature length film, the short works much better as it plays out like a creepy episode of the THE TWILIGHT ZONE with a high-concept premise: a man in one room with multiple video cameras tries to prove a mirror hosts an evil supernatural force. A little rough around edges but the material transcends its limitations. 8
WATCH IT: [link]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxZuop1d3hc[/link]
88. Devilwood (2006)
TV-G | 11 min | Short, History, Horror
In a lawless outpost in 17th Century England, the people have ceased to be God-fearing but learn to fear the Devil instead.
Director: Sacha Bennett | Stars: John Simm, Kate Magowan, Dylan Brown, Marina Fiorato
Votes: 79
MY TWO CENTS: Gothic horror film dealing with the devil - atmospheric but more subdued than thrilling. 7
WATCH IT: [link]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4NAcvDDJHA[/link]
89. The Shovel (2006)
Not Rated | 15 min | Short, Mystery
When Paul Mullin discovers his neighbor digging a hole on the middle of the night, he writes it off as simply a bizarre encounter. Until the neighbor - and his wife - disappear. Paul calls ... See full summary »
Director: Nick Childs | Stars: David Strathairn, Neal Huff, Tim Guinee, Glenn Fleshler
Votes: 123
MY TWO CENTS: Plays out like a cracker-jack episode of ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS. 8
WATCH IT: [link]https://vimeo.com/68299737[/link]
90. Centigrade (2007)
R | 17 min | Short, Thriller
A man who lives in an old camper trailer, wakes up one morning to find himself rolling down a desert highway. Taken hostage aboard this rolling nightmare, he will have to use his wits in order to survive.
Director: Colin Cunningham | Stars: Colin Cunningham, Daniel Brodsky, Ron Sauvé, Bernhard Lachkovics
Votes: 91
MY TWO CENTS: A remake of the classic short film THE PHONE BOX. Naturally, it can't rival the classic, but it's an interesting spin on the narrative. 7
WATCH IT: [link]http://vimeo.com/34764098[/link]
91. The Facts in the Case of Mister Hollow (2008)
6 min | Animation, Short, Fantasy
The film centers on an unusual photograph dating back to the 1930s. An investigation of its particulars reveals a tapestry of secrets hidden in the details, and a tale of kidnapping and murder captured in a haunting moment.
Directors: Rodrigo Gudiño, Vincent Marcone | Stars: Julian Richings, Alan Alderton, Lea Lawrynowicz, Tony Morrone
Votes: 625
MY TWO CENTS: A tale of mystery and horror told entirely through one photograph... that seems to change over time. Wildly creative, this is truly a one of a kind flick which was nominated for a Genie award (the Canadian Oscars). 9
WATCH IT: [link]http://vimeo.com/67754224[/link]
92. Las horas muertas (2007)
Not Rated | 13 min | Short
Four young people camped with an old RV close to the road. Someone is pointing with rifle at them. When the sniper shoots, everything is stained with blood. A vacation day turns into a ghoulish nightmare of terror, sex, and death.
Director: Haritz Zubillaga | Stars: Marian Álvarez, Zoe Berriatúa, Nydia García, Andrés Gertrúdix
Votes: 71
MY TWO CENTS: A sniper terrorizes four people who are camping out in an RV. Simple premise yet absolutely harrowing. The ending is unexpected simply because it's both surreal and humorous, which is in stark contrast to the frightening realism that came before it. A real find. 8
WATCH IT: [link]http://vimeo.com/7269117[/link]
93. Madame Tutli-Putli (2007)
17 min | Animation, Short, Thriller
Exhausted and profoundly melancholic, anachronistic Madame Tutli-Putli wants to board a train. And, surrounded by a lifetime's worth of personal belongings, she waits patiently. Is she running away from her past?
Directors: Chris Lavis, Maciek Szczerbowski | Star: Laurie Maher
Votes: 2,936
MY TWO CENTS: Animated with a grungy style, this hallucinatory journey of a woman on a train is fascinating as it seems to shift its narrative from drama to suspense to horror to experimental art, but it's a little too abstract to be fully satisfying. Nominated for an Oscar. 7
WATCH IT: [link]https://vimeo.com/17081933[/link]
94. Spider (2007)
R | 9 min | Short, Action, Drama
A young man tries to make things right again in his relationship after he and his girlfriend get in a fight.
Director: Nash Edgerton | Stars: Nash Edgerton, Mirrah Foulkes, Chum Ehelepola, Bruno Xavier
Votes: 3,111
MY TWO CENTS: This short has gained a sort of cult following thanks to an effective shock that comes out of nowhere - it got me and gets everyone to whom I show it. 8
WATCH IT: [link]https://vimeo.com/21037121[/link]
95. AM1200 (2008)
39 min | Short, Horror
Haunted by recent events and on the run, a man finds himself the unwitting pawn of a possessed evangelical radio station and like his unfortunate predecessor must ask himself whether it is better to reign in hell than serve in heaven.
Director: David Prior | Stars: Eric Lange, John Billingsley, Ray Wise, Stephanie Venditto
Votes: 1,054
MY TWO CENTS: Atmospheric mystery with an intriguing premise and an admittedly effective revelation in the end, but the build up ponderous rather than suspenseful. 6
WATCH IT: [link]https://vimeo.com/102372269[/link]
96. The Horribly Slow Murderer with the Extremely Inefficient Weapon (2008)
10 min | Short, Comedy, Horror
The epic story of one man's encounter with what could be the most relentless murderer of all time.
Director: Richard Gale | Stars: Paul Clemens, Brian Rohan, Melissa Paladino, Michael James Kacey
Votes: 6,657
MY TWO CENTS: Absurdist horror film that features an evil entity reminiscent of the one from IT FOLLOWS but six years earlier and plays it for laughs - and, boy, what laughs! Richard Gale brilliantly sends up the horror genre! 9
WATCH IT: [link]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VDvgL58h_Y[/link]
97. I Love Sarah Jane (2008)
Not Rated | 14 min | Short, Horror, Romance
Jimbo is 13 and can think of only one girl -- Sarah Jane. And no matter what stands in his way-bullies, violence, chaos, or zombies-nothing will stop him from finding a way into her world.
Director: Spencer Susser | Stars: Brad Ashby, Mia Wasikowska, Vladimir Matovic, Beau South
Votes: 1,393
MY TWO CENTS: Coming-of-age drama disguised as a zombie film - an interesting combination that works. 7
WATCH IT: [link]https://vimeo.com/5124137[/link]
98. Mamá (2008)
3 min | Short, Horror
A young girl wakes up and tells her sister that their mother has returned home.
Director: Andy Muschietti | Stars: Victoria Harris, Berta Ros, Irma Monroig
Votes: 3,301
MY TWO CENTS: Many horror shorts are an execution of a single idea rather than a story; this is one of those examples. However, despite having relatively no story, it's execution of its said idea is masterful. Told entirely in a single tale, this visually stylish short is certainly creepy and beautiful to behold, though it is marred by a shock ending which seems tonally out of place. 7
WATCH IT: [link]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRqS6pBC42w[/link]
99. Reacción (2008)
11 min | Short, Drama
A man sees a woman who is beaten by her husband in the car. Decides to follow the car.
Director: David Victori | Stars: Vanessa Buchaca, Santi Millán, David Ramírez
Votes: 56
MY TWO CENTS: A bleak thriller concerning a man trying to save a woman from her sadistic husband. Constantly tense and unconventional in how it plays out. 8
WATCH IT: [link]https://vimeo.com/30848170[/link]
100. Ripple (2008)
10 min | Short, Comedy, Thriller
A random act of malice sets in motion a domino run of coincidences and catastrophes turning one man's ordinary day into a living nightmare.
Director: Paul Gowers | Stars: Ben Crompton, Bill Thomas, Lucy Holt, Glenn Doherty
Votes: 82
MY TWO CENTS: A dark comedy of errors with some deliciously horrible twists occurring to our hapless hero. Quite fun. 7
WATCH IT: [link]https://vimeo.com/14388778[/link]
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