Newlyweds John and Samantha’s (Marc Slanger and Jordan Lewis) marriage is already crumbling after an abortion. John’s boss offers to relocate him to a small town in Maryland in hopes to heal and to oversee the development of a casino. But the small town they move to aren’t happy that he’s there and set something sinister in motion. Don’t Let the Devil In was written and directed by Courtney Fathom Sell.
Tag Archives: Thriller
Sandman (2017) [Horrible Imaginings Film Festival 2017]
A woman wakes up in the middle of the night and as she tries to push away a nightmare, she finds something much worse lurking in the dark.
This short by Liam Banks is one truly creepy one that uses a story from most people’s childhood and cranks it to eleven. The way the creepy thing is introduced is great and how it comes closer and closer to the lead is chilling. This short takes something most people were raised into being scared of and uses it against the lead which creates an effect on the viewer. This short uses simple methods to bring the creepiness forth and make it powerful.
Nightlight (2017) [Horrible Imaginings Film Festival 2017]
A young boy keeps having to turn on his nightlight to read as something is turning it off every. single. time.
Director Kyle Daly takes this simple premise and makes it both a little scary and funny at the same time. This short works well by repetition and by showing the viewer just enough until it’s time to show much more and make the film truly memorable. His sense of timing and how the story is developed are what make the film truly work. It’s short short and it’s absolutely worth seeing if possible as it doesn’t take itself seriously, yet works like a charm.
Level (2017) [Horrible Imaginings Film Festival 2017]
A man stuck in a warehouse looks for a way out in what looks to be a never-ending game of cat and mouse.
Written and directed by Andrew Hunt, the film takes the simple premise of a man stuck in a warehouse and turns it on its head a bit having him question life and the reasons why he is stuck there. The film explores this while not really giving any answers. The ending to this makes the film and as thus will not be spoiled. The writing and directing do are what make this short film work so well along with the acting.
Midnighters (2017) [Horrible Imaginings Film Festival 2017]
A couple coming back from a New Year’s party hits a man on the highway. As they try to figure out what to do, things take turns for the worse and worse, testing them and their resolve.
Written by Alston Ramsay and directed by Julius Ramsay, Midnighters is a thriller with touches of horror that takes its time to set up the situation and the stress of it before through a wrench into the proceeding and ads extra characters in the story and everything takes a few more turns that are surprising yet still make sense. The writing and directing of the film show that they creators work well together and them being brothers definitely help. Their work is good here and the film is a tightly planned and executed thriller.
Yesterday is Tomorrow (2017) [Horrible Imaginings Film Festival 2017]
A mourning woman must confront her past and her dreams as they begin blurring and causing her much pain.
Written and directed by James C. Shahanshah, this short takes on issues of grieving, regret, sadness, depression, and other mental issues. It tackles them fairly upfront and manages to make a film that is touching and emotional while also not over-doing any of it. The subtlety of the film and how it proceeds with the emotions at hand works great for this type of situation and message. The film does not skirt any part of the issues at hand, but it also does not go for too bluntly which is something that takes a mastering of storytelling and directing clearly shown here from James C. Shahanshah. He gives his leading lady the spotlight and doesn’t force the gaze upon her but more like lets it rest upon her emotions. The film layers the lead’s emotions to create something that becomes heavier and heavier as the runtime moves forward.
Assumption (2017) [Horrible Imaginings Film Festival 2017]
A man wakes up trapped in a cargo elevator, as time goes by, his spends his time speaking with the disembodied voice from the security room and begins to lose his mind.
Written and directed by Anthony Leone, Assumption is a one location film that does make the most of its location and that trapped feeling that happens when one is stuck in an elevator for an extended period of time. The film explores themes of guilt and purgatory in direct and indirect ways while also showing the true colors of its only onscreen character. However, this could have been done in less time as here the film feels overly long and repetitive after a while. The ideas and the story are good, but the way it’s executed feels like something is either missing or it could have been trimmed by a lot.