Latest Short Film Reviews

Hereafter (2024) is a short horror film directed by Max Bramley. The story follows mortician Archie (played by Max Gold) as he prepares the deceased Ellen (played by Safiya Shamji) for her funeral.

After Archie states he was going to apply makeup, but then strokes her lips inappropriately, Ellen abruptly rises, gasping and coming alive. This is to both of their shock after she apparently faced a ‘sudden death’. Ellen begins to question where she is, if she is still dead and what Archie was doing to her, considering her funeral was not going to be an open casket. Archie becomes more flustered during her questions and concerns, before his anxiety peaks when other bodies in the morgue can be heard coming alive. Their screams prompt Ellen to continue her interrogation as she gets closer to him.

This short film was simple yet effective; although it contained two characters in one setting, it was engaging and definitely has the capacity to get audiences thinking. The issue is that the narrative draws you in, only to leave you hanging with questions that never get answered. Although open endings can sometimes be successful with enough information offered, there was a lack of understanding of the plot of this film and this may lead to confusion.

As the tension peaked, the film ended, leaving audiences without any clarity of why Ellen and the other supposedly dead people are awake, if mortician Archie had anything to do with it and what events would now follow.

Despite this, the film was enjoyable and the narrative was interesting; it just needed some more context. The sound effects were impactful for the horror genre and the cinematography was strong and professional also. Audiences can appreciate the limited set design and lighting plan, as the performances take most of the focus. Although the performances were strong, they were not very convincing. Considering a dead body came alive, I suspect viewers will expect more shock value from the cast.

To conclude, Hereafter (2024) followed an interesting concept, with high production value; some simple backstory that still fits within the time constraints of a short film would elevate it.

A young musician is finding it hard to sell his music or to make anything that matters, until one night he falls into a strange slumber and meets a shadowy figure at a crossroads.

At seventeen years old, Seth Fenter has decided he wants to be a filmmaker. As writer, director, cinematographer, editor, and producer on Midnight Rot, he’s taking that decision very seriously indeed. He and his friends over at Small Shot Pictures made a few films about a year or so ago, which were varying degrees of interesting but all very amateur, however, there appears to have been nothing since. Perhaps the quality of Midnight Rot might provide an explanation for that.

Unlike most of his buddies, and considering the roster of tasks he already felt compelled to take on during this project, Fenter decided not to star in Midnight Rot, but instead gave that honour to his similarly adolescent friend, Jacob John Wood, who rather optimistically is credited as ‘The Man’. This anonymous guy stands in the dark in his bedroom, in what seems to be his mum’s house, with his curtains open, but with absolutely zero light coming in to illuminate the scene. He’s on the phone mumbling like a teenager about not getting his music sold, or it not being the right fit for the current production. He’s at a bit of a crossroads in terms of what to do about breaking out and making his music sound better to the world. That’s when, like in a lot of gloomy teenage bedrooms these days, the computer screen speaks to him and hypnotises him into a macabre dream.

The musician then meets a hooded figure at a crossroads, in the dark, at night, with no light anywhere to illuminate the scene, and they mumble together in some sort of backwards language to strike a deal. Waking to find that he still has no real talent, there is instead a gift of songs for the musician, the first half of a bargain, but of course the price always has to be paid, and the reaper will always come calling.

On the whole, what Fenter has managed to do is create a strong visual narrative around a very well tried and tested storyline. His characters are automatically archetypal, and the themes resonate with everyone, so all he’s really got to do is get the storytelling right, and for what he appears to have wanted to achieve, he’s done that. His decision to film in almost total darkness is a strange one, as it doesn’t help the viewer when they can’t see what’s going on, but it does make sense that these themes and these scenarios would most likely take place in the absence of any light. It’s just not very cinematic.

There’s obvious issues with the sound and the dialogue, but when you can’t always see what they’re being matched to it doesn’t really matter so much. The music from Cryptic Scenery works well and is a nice accompaniment to the narrative, and Fenter does choose his shots nicely to create a feeling of continuity throughout his film. It’s just never clear if we really get anywhere in the whole twenty-four minutes of Midnight Rot, or that we ever get away even slightly from the central action of the selling of his soul.

While Midnight Rot is definitely atmospheric and visual in its narrative, too much of it is hidden away in darkness for too much of the time, and almost no technical skill is attended in the making of the film. Fenter shows real promise as a director, but in taking on every role himself he has let his own production down by not getting the best people for the job. After a year to think about it, maybe it’s time to get out there and make another one, just with a stronger, wider story to it, and maybe some light thrown in there as well.

Arron Blake writes, directs and stars in this short drama, the cast if which includes Theodore Slyvain and Mark Gatiss.

To a degree, the plot is reminiscent of the 2013 Oscar-winning feature Her. The setting is Britain and a program, an app, has been developed that enables customers to hire people for a limited time and they hug each other. According to a news report in the film, the intention was to improve the well-being of those who are suffering from loneliness. One person who takes a shot at this is Oliver (Blake), a young homosexual and painter.

The screenplay examines how Oliver is influenced by his experiences with having a stranger (stranger's name is Nate and he is played by Theodore Slyvain) in his home with the sole intention of embracing. Initially, he changes his mind and refuses to participate but later ends up embracing (no pun intended) the arrangement and seems to find joy in it, until something happens. The viewing is dramatic and thoughtful and gets quite intimate at times.

The dramatic music by Filipe Silva adds to the atmosphere and so does Darius Shu's moody cinematography. Effective use of slow motion takes place in montage sequences.

The rapport that develops between Oliver and Nate is a primary aspect. Oliver appears to be struggling to form a relationship, constantly meeting with one man after another, all leading to nothing more than sexual encounters. After meeting Nate, Oliver seems to have found something, or at least the believes he has, until he realises that he was mistaken. He is a lonely man whose main company appears to be his AI home device and he does not seem to know what he longs for. Sylvain's character is an employee, a youngster who listens to Oliver's thoughts, but ultimately, he stays loyal to his job, without commitments.

This is a story about connection, about yearning to connect with people, about meeting someone special and about self-reflection and frustration. Through Mark Gatiss's character, the film points out how much people are distracted by technology, with him constantly looking at his phone while Oliver tries to communicate with him.

A short drama about connection that is (in certain ways) also a romance. In the end, it is about a man struggling to comprehend what it is that he is looking for.

Bereavement is a difficult part of life and even more so when the person who is gone was adored by so many and you have to fill the void that is left. That is what Stella played by Stella Talpo has to do as the new queen of the Burlesque at The Belladonna. Her mother has passed and we see how she unravels under the pressure of grief and being part of the competitive and cut throat world of Burlesque.

This short film begins with glitter and sparkles with the well chosen “Yes Sir, I can Boogie” by Baccara. From this point the focus is not on dancing but the breakdown of the new star, who feels everyone is out to get her. Stella Talpo is brilliant in the main role and she is able to convey the pain, trauma and anguish throughout. This could easily be performed as a one woman show as we see inside the mind of someone tortured by the past and present. The audience will be completely engrossed as they see a woman on the edge portrayed so brilliantly. The supporting cast have little do but are able to react to the main characters behaviour in an understated fashion which is a real positive and allows for the focus to be on Stella and Cherry.

Cherry played by Janiq has a vital role to play as Stella’s protagonist. Cherry is provocative and is able to mix titillation with a strong feminist message. This is an all female cast and the message put out to the audience is very important in modern times. Janiq is able to convey the feelings of empathy but also shows a colder side as she looks to take advantage of the situation. This is a really well cast film and they all complement each other brilliantly.

The costumes are sexy, dazzling and sparkly and are perfect for the theatrical nature of Burlesque. The ladies can be seen in corsets and stockings and bright makeup which is a tribute to the Burlesque dancers of the early 20th century. The set has the glamour of Burlesque but also the dowdy look of the local pub. This works really well and is used to separate the dance persona and the person behind the makeup.

The Writer and director Javid Rezai has experience at writing roles for women, particularly those going through trauma. This experience is clearly shown in this story and the use of Burlesque is a topic the audience will not have come across too often. There is also a strong message of feminism with the use of “ My body My Choice” being displayed in one of the standout scenes. The writer really knows how to grab the viewers attention and is able to convey the emotions of the main cast very effectively.

As the director Javid Rezai wants the audience to focus on the two main characters and get a close look at their faces as everything unravels. This makes the scenes feel claustrophobic as the thoughts of inadequacy draw in. The use of jarring music is extremely impactful and will make the hairs on the back of the neck stand up. There is a strong tone of horror in the musical score and this is very effective.

The 15 minutes viewing moves at a great pace and is the perfect amount of time to get a snapshot of the past and present and it draws to an end with a very powerful scene. Overall this is a really thought provoking film depicting a very important message about grief, feminism and mental health. The performances are really good and the audience will be transported to the mind of the main character Stella as she battles with her thoughts.

Set in a dimly lit bar, we are introduced to a journalist named Meekah (Theo White) hard at work. He is approached by a mysterious and rather sinister character (Timothy J. Cox) who pursues him for a conversation.

We see Meekah take his drinks from the bar and get stuck into his work. A top-down shot shows Meekah in the process of what appears to be an investigation into a cold case. Sifting through various crime scene photos, a stranger approaches. At first, Meekah is distracted but begins to pay attention to how the stranger perceives the world.

The mood lighting already sets up this idea of good and evil. Both sitting across from each other at the booth, one side warm-toned and vibrant and the other cold and casting shadows.

At first, we don’t see the stranger’s face, keeping us suspicious about the motive of the conversation.

When Meekah does start to become intrigued, we cut to the face of the stranger taking up the whole screen, covered by a hat, never seeing his eyes. Only his mouth is illuminated as he speaks in this unsettling tone; this creates a silhouette that is completely menacing. The camera work in this short delivers this film so effortlessly. We go from top-down, to over-the-shoulder and up-close intimate shots of both characters during the interaction.

The acting between the two is impressive, delivering convincing character arcs and the sound is of great quality.

At the beginning, only background noise is heard and as the conversation progresses, we hear a rich string score representing the ever-growing tension. A short-form thriller like this leaves the audience wanting more.

The title ‘Creatures of Habit’ is cleverly worded for both the two characters. Meekah is so caught up in his own work that he neglects relationships in his personal life and is somewhat a loner. The stranger stalks people, observes them, and lives by this pattern. Ultimately, the two worlds collide in this good vs evil play-through. We are left with more questions than answers, and it’s perfectly set up for a bigger project.

Overall, the short feels inspired by films like ‘Seven’ and ‘Zodiac’. It uses the darkly dressed stranger as a trope for a greater lurking evil. This is enhanced with aspects like the lighting, shots, and dialogue.

The environment feels like we’ve stepped straight into a dive bar, and all of this is credit to the quality of the film.

This could have potentially been a longer run time, exploring both characters more. However, it adds to the mystery of the film, which is what is clearly intended. Both actors perform convincing roles and capture the essence of the film in such a short amount of time.

They nailed the aesthetics with the cinematography and kept us wanting more from this cat and mouse portrayal.

The Silence We Carry (2026) is a short film set in post-apocalyptic Britain. The story follows Will (played by writer and director Louis Mateu), who turns to violence to protect himself and a young boy named Sam (played by Socrates Kuznetsov.

The film follows a simple premise, yet one that carries lots of emotional depth. The ending reveals Will’s dark secret, one that is kept from Sam. This twist has the capacity to completely shock audiences and increase their emotional investment.

The narrative is brilliant; it is strong enough to maybe be extended, potentially to something of a longer length like a feature film. The film might leave some questions remaining about the past of protagonist Will and the world he lives in, but it is still greatly effective and understandable within the short format.

The beginning of the film dunks audiences right into the deep end, engaging them in the high stakes that this society faces from the start. Will kills two people in an attempt to take their resources and continue to survive; a time jump then sees Will many years later with Sam.

The beginning scene works as a great hook, but the tension does not stop there. Will and Sam continue on their journey, facing other threats, with heightened pressure. This continues throughout to keep viewers’ attention. Will mistakes a man trying to help the pair and ends his life too. This is where audiences can start to understand the weight of the world the two live in and the measures Will is taking to continue living. This adds character depth and poses the question of whether Will’s extreme actions are necessary or whether Will is flawed. With more of his backstory, audiences may be able to connect and understand him more.

The cinematography is clean and professional. The drone shot of the woods with its lush greens is particularly beautiful. Small details, down to the clean titles and credits, show great attention to detail. The music is potent, working smoothly alongside the ebbs and flows of the narrative, adding more drama where necessary.

The script writing is easy to understand, whilst hinting at secrets yet to be revealed, acting as smart hints and foreshadowing elements that audiences will think back on after their revelation. All the performances were strong, with the characters’ emotions adding to audiences’ understanding of the gravity of their situations, further reinforcing their hardships. The young boy Socrates Kuznetsov was confident and compelling in his acting.

Overall, this short film is created with high production value, following a gripping story where you can trust no one. Some backstory may have strengthened the narrative, but it is still hugely captivating as it is.

Sundays with Dad is an all-American, family-based short film. Directed by Thomas Angeletti, the film follows Widower Ben, who is spending a Sunday afternoon bonding with his son Jason, a weekly tradition they have maintained for years. The film takes place mostly on Ben’s porch, where Ben reveals to his son that he has been struggling with loneliness and shares a secret he has been ashamed of: how he has been coping without his late wife, Maggie. Ben has hired a prostitute named Heather — but not for sexual purposes. Heather is simply there as a companion to Ben, for him to spend time with so he can enjoy his life, distracted from the difficult feelings of grief. This revelation is bizarre at first; however, as the two men connect and Ben opens up, viewers will find themselves touched by Ben’s story and somewhat empathising with the choice he made to hire Heather.

Whilst the two main protagonists are men, and they are also the only physical characters in the film, a major theme of the film is the role of women. Jason speaks lovingly about his wife Melanie, who also had a caring relationship with Ben, and Ben is haunted by his unrelenting love for his dead wife, which is torturous for him now that he must live without her. Although there is controversial messaging here surrounding the purpose of women, as being there to comfort men, those who watch and listen to Ben can understand the situational nature of his struggles, and allow his feelings to be at the core of the film’s messaging. 

The exploitation of women for use in prostitution is grim on many levels, so viewers may find it difficult to open their minds to the film’s core narrative. Sexual or not, the concept of a man paying a woman for her comforting services is a long-lived, disgusting exchange which is ingrained in misogyny. We sense Jason’s disgust at his father’s revelation, although he eventually comes to understand his father’s difficulties leading to this decision, as Ben breaks down in front of him. However, with its short runtime of only 22 minutes, and unfortunate lack of actual characterisation of Heather as she is never pictured on screen, Ben’s action does not feel truly justified. This is worsened by the emphasis made on the fact that she is good at cooking and cleaning, another example of the film leaning into misogynistic tropes about women. 

The most touching aspect of Sundays with Dad is Ben and Jason’s relationship, and the way that both characters express emotions. Jason and Ben’s weekly time together is clearly more of a routine than a true time of bonding; until this precise Sunday, both men haven’t been able to truly open up to one another. Here, viewers witness a heartfelt flooding of emotion as Jason comes to understand the true impact of Maggie’s loss. Though both actors are cast as unprofessional, their talent does not go unnoticed. This is particularly the case for George R. Hildebrand, who plays Ben. The film is made up of lingering still takes, allowing Hildebrand to shine through his monologues.

Sundays with Dad is a film full of love. This is seen in the film’s attention to detail. In the small moments that are shot inside the house, the camera’s close-up shots show a romanticisation of the cinematic space, focusing on the joy in small, satisfying domestic moments such as the opening of a brown paper bag and the preparation of lunch. Love is also clearly the strongest emotion that both men feel. This is what leads them to accept one another fully, as Ben accepts that Jason now has a family of his own to take care of, so he cannot spend more than one day a week with him, and Jason accepts that his grief has led him to make a morally controversial choice to help him cope. Most of all, Ben’s love for his late wife is what permeates the entire film. Ben’s sadness and the hole that is in his life are especially moving, and all the while, adoring. What is grief, if not love persevering?

An educational and powerful short documentary about the world of adaptive surfing, directed by Connor Langley.

Jimmy Simpson is a young man who describes himself as an adrenaline junkie. He has dyskinetic quadriplegic cerebral palsy who uses a wheelchair and has completed all kinds of extreme activities, uncluding sky diving. Now, he has made the decision to pursue surfing and this half-an-hour-long documentary follows his journey into the world of surfing, accompanied by the tremendous help he received by several wonderful people.

Viewers will have the privilege of being introduced to Jimmy and his enthusiasm for living life to the full and also get to know those who are assisting him in achieving his goals. Some of these individuals are Nick Jones, who runs South Shields Surf School, Lauryn Bell, Jimmy's personal assistant, Steve Turnbull, Maintenance Representative for Beach Access North East, Nico Nelson, a surfboard shaper and Russell Field, who runs SurfDek.

The film is structured in a way that shows how the people mentioned above contributed to making Jimmy's dreams come true. For instance, Jones (a surfing instructor) taught him how to surf and Bell supported him in every way, including in the ocean. And Turnbull, Nelson and Field did their significant part by providing Jimmy with the necessary equipment, such as a beach wheelchair and an adaptive board.

All these people are interviewed and it is great listening to the ways they helped Jimmy and many other people. Aside from their accomplishments, viewers will also learn about the companies whith the purpose of improving the lives of people with disabilities. And they will also become aware of the Muscle Food English Para Surfing Open, the biggest surf competition in England for participants with physical disabilities or visual impairment and Jimmy competes in the 2024 event.

Effective use of slow motion is utilised, particularly in the sections involving surfing and the dramatic music by Emily Palmer-Giles adds to the atmosphere.

This film is about surfing, especially para surfing, about the joys that it brings. Additionally, it shows the impressive ways that people have come up with in order to assist those with disabilities, whether it is by assisting them personally or developing products. Moreover, it proves that if one has disablilties that does not mean that they are unable to live their dreams, as via determination and support, anything can be achieved.

An informative, moving and inspiring documentary about adaptive surfing and never giving up.

This is a short film exploring grief from the point of view of a child who has lost both her parents. Losing her parents means that she is taken under the wing of her uncle. It appears that this relationship is not one that has been close and so the story follows their relationship as they try to come to terms with the deaths of their loved ones. A very important aspect of their life is their faith in god.

The audience is taken to 1970s Birmingham and the director is able to portray some elements of the time. The struggles of the people living through that period are shown particularly at the uncles home. The sets are dimly lit to show the mood perfectly for those working and living in this era. Each scene is edited together seamlessly and there is good use of locations throughout.

The film depicts the emotions of grief with real sensitivity. The grief is calm and quiet and feels real. The audience will be completely captivated by the performances of the main character Eva played by Talia Sokal and uncle David played by Ben Caplan. This is a difficult subject matter and one that is dealt with beautifully through the actions of the child. The viewers will be encouraged to observe the relationship between uncle and niece as the film moves through each scene. You feel how uncomfortable this relationship is and the awkwardness that comes when relative strangers are being pushed together at such a difficult time. Full credit goes to the actors for making every emotion feel real.

The other important relationship is between Eva and her friend Sam played by Charlie Bishop. They really encapsulate how it can be easier to talk to someone of your own age. The scenes between these two characters are really well used and pivotal to the story going forward. Charlie Bishop is able to portray empathy and compassion throughout, which is a credit to him and the writing and the direction.

The film develops a childlike way of discussing death and attempting to deal with death. It does this by showing how a child would communicate with those that are gone and does this in a unique way. The writer was able to get inside the mind of the child and their response to grief. The audience will understand the message and the symbolic nature of this film. It is simple but simplicity is quite often the best way to tell a story. They were also able to show the audience how important faith is to the main characters. There are scenes that show certain elements of the Jewish faith such as Hamotzi, which are well used and add further meaning to the story. Some of the best scenes are between the uncle and niece at the uncles home. The story has a strong focus on the main characters and does not deviate from the message.

This is an important film which tackles a very difficult subject but does so in a very quiet manner with no drama. It is a subtle look at grief but this does not in anyway reduce the power of the images shown. The performances are developed well and show a real understanding of the subject, which is particularly impressive considering the age of the main actors involved. This will have an effect on those who know grief first hand.

An astronaut is the sole survivor of a catastrophic mission into the depths of space, where an unknown entity reaches out to grasp at the humanity within his soul.

Commander Freddie Ballard (Kent) is in a bit of a pickle. He can’t quite figure out just where he is, or whether he has actually already been on the mission that has been assigned to him by his superior officer (DoQui). Rather anachronistically he is called back to himself through the time-tested cinematic device of a telephone ringing. At first it’s his girlfriend (Ponraj) who picks up the phone, even though he tells her not to, but time and again we are brought back to that same room, and that same ringing of the telephone, so that Freddie can receive his limited narrative motivation and move onto the next sequence of his story.

Interspersed with Freddie’s home life and military debriefing is the time he spends in space, or has spent, or will spend, or will spend again. You see, Freddie appears to be caught in some sort of time loop, or space loop, and it is unclear whether he is remembering his story, looking to the future, or is caught in some sort of simulation. In reality there are no answers for Freddie, because there are no answers for us as the audience, but that is only a secondary concern when it seems that what we are all here for, especially the filmmakers, is the stylised visuals.

Writer/director, Angad Aulakh takes great pains to set his scenes exactly the way he wants them, with production designer, Leah Berman helping create a classic neo-noir feel to every industrialised walkway, cargo bay, and corridor within the spaceship. Things are far more Nostromo here than they are Enterprise-D. The black-and-white presentation also heightens this stylisation, grounding the mystery elements of Freddie’s investigations into the unknown, while also giving the visual effects room to breathe without revealing any of their secrets.

In fact, the visual effects are so well polished around the edges, in 4K, that it’s a wonder that visual effects artists, Stuart Lippincott and Ian Mills Miller, were able to get it all done with just the two of them working on it. Aurora succeeds or fails on the scale, grandeur, and believability, of these visual effects shots, and each of them is pulled off incredibly, with remarkable detail, clean finish, and perfect lighting the whole way through. Around half of the film exists in these shots alone, and when they are also doing the job of holding up the narrative, their gravitas and intention needs to shine through just from their composition and movement, which they manage to do seamlessly.

While borrowing elements from such space opera classics as Solaris (1972), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), and Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989), Aurora instead only uses the symbology, aesthetic, and overall intention of these pieces, rather than digging down into the issues, characters, and themes which underpinned them and made them great. Plot is unceremoniously jettisoned only to be supplanted by cinematic devices and garbled storytelling, while the space scenery does all of the heavy lifting. The thing is that you can see in the fifteen minutes of Aurora that there’s a full feature aching to emerge from it. There’s enough of other films, and of a narrative that does make sense in the round if you like things a little Lynchian – all jumbled and mysterious – but it’s also easy to see that without a stable story or compelling characterisation, fifteen minutes is probably about all that most people could take.

Aurora needs to be seen to be believed, and is a tour-de-force in visual effects and design. Its scant narrative is subsumed into the wider visual spectacle with no real loss of engagement, and is carried by strong performances into a realm of wonder and awe. If visual language is what you’re after, Aurora shines bright through the darkness.

Aurora will premiere at the 2026 HollyShorts Film Festival