This is how you make a horror movie. The build up, the slow burn, the tension, the terror. This short film is much more meaningful than hollywood movies in 2024 I'm so fed up with the jumpscares. You know it's horror done right when it doesn't make you just scream, it makes you shout "OH, SHIT!"
Jump scares have their place but too many moves and games rely on them more than they should and not enough on atmosphere and tension building. Yes, getting startled bumps up your heart rate and nervousness but that's not the same as a slow buildup and reveal
Jump scares have their place in horror. Smile 2 struck a nice balance between most of the things you mentioned. I would argue that slow burn has worn out its welcome in the genre, especially when there's no payoff, or the payoff doesn't warrant sitting through the entire film.
I love the usage of sound here and the lack of vocal acting. This is a style choice that isn't easy to pull off, but is a very effective way to tell a story when done right. Exposition often creates a disconnect from the viewer. It's somebody else giving the information. This style, in contrast, can make you feel what the character does. So the information partially comes from within yourself. Anybody who has ever had night terrors knows the feeling of not being able to make a sound. You can't scream or even whisper. You may even be unable to tell if you're breathing or not. The usage of chalk was a cool style choice, too. Wherever you found to use for your filming location was great, also. I used to live in the middle of nowhere and I walked to the store into the next town at night. Started walking at midnight and didn't get there till 5am. There were many street lights that were out on the road I was walking down and the ones that were lit were very far between each other. So I was able to feel what the character felt in the film. I wish more filmmakers would use this method of storytelling, especially in the horror genre. Exposition and over-explanation is getting so tiring. Great work to everyone involved.
@@Monius13 stop lying. It’s a made up story. Walking to the store that’s 5 hours away… and you have to come back. You don’t even smoke. You never mentioned you smoke and I wrote “cigarettes” as a random example, and suddenly cigarettes were the reason you walked! What a BS… stop pretending to be somebody you are not, just be you. Don’t resort to lying and making stuff up to get likes, it’s pathetic.
This was pretty well done… the tension, confusion, little details and clues trying to figure it out, the monster in the distance or all around , the feeling of dread and doom approaching… nicely done and better than most big budget movies out there … def a good job with limited resources and FX, proving you don’t need a lot to create something special
You want to hear something really trippy? I don't believe dreams are just random pictures you see in your head. I believe that when you're asleep, you are able to see into other timelines that your life has taken. With every decision we make. The other decision that wasn't made is still made and life goes on from both decisions. Basically branching out like a tree. The other decision may end up having you lose your lives in 10 minutes and then the soul from your departed timeline goes back to the closest timeline and melds with the other soul. When you dream you are seeing those other timelines. I know people will then say well why do my dreams seem so erratic and like they don't make sense? That's because the operational program that controls this entire simulation is actively working to erase what you saw and distort what you saw in the dreams so that you don't figure it out. That's why dreams seem so weird and erratic. Because pieces are being taken away.
@@TheTexasViking I've heard that dreams are experiences from your soul and possibly cryptid messages from the afterlife and I don't belive that all dreams are like that, but I do like to belive that some of my deeper dreams have those kinds of meanings. I mean I literally learned that some of my ancestors where native americains after I had a dream about sperits that possesed trees and objects and i could only see them when they pessesed objects but I could only hear them when they possesed the trees. and then after that dream i told my dad about it and how my dream resembled the belifs of some indigenous people, wich i learned in school the day before I had my dream, and then my dad told me that his side of the family, specificly my grandpa had indeginous roots being the mi'kmaq and that they enhabited the east coast of Canada. anyway I wanted to share my view along with a related experience, if you see this I want to know if you have had any of your own spiritual dream experiences!
@@TheTexasVikingThere is a way to explore these timelines at will, if one so desires, but I would not recommend it. That being said, I believe there is a place between timelines that you must traverse to enter the alternate. A dark place where there are many unfamiliar things. Things you didn’t know the mind could conjure up, watching, waiting to enter thoughts and dreams in the darkened corners of your mind where nothing happens. The things in your nightmares that you don’t understand from beyond all timelines, there to skew and meld them with the timeless. The key to exploring the dreamworld is to stay lucid by tricking your mind by questioning reality when you’re awake so that you can do the same in your dreams. Much like being on psychedelics, reminding yourself that you are not entirely in reality to stay calm. Try lucid dreaming at your own risk however. One can get lost in the dark, trapped in a cycle, loosing their sense of reality, their true timeline entirely.
Wow, what an amazing short. I was so scared. I thought that beast was going to devour him. I'm sure there is symbolism..is it about death, trying to overcome death, our deepest fears and insecurities? Actor was incredible. I felt like I was right there with him.
Nicely done, had a near death experience, “bcuz he got shocked nearly to death on the job which is what we get from the end” nd had to figure out his way back to reality to save himself from actually dying crazy😂
1- Thanks a lot to the one who did the C.C!! 2- THIS is an excellent exercise in suspense, especially supernatural thriller. Got me as an involuntary witness yelling at The DeadMan Walking to follow the leads and be careful! 3- That sound design is A HELL OF SOUND DESIGN! And finally 4: I think that the lead character credited as The DeadMan Walking is an indication that he's already dead. Am I the only one who thinks that?? Great short supernatural thriller film 9/10 for me
Another commenter suggested that he was, indeed, dead and pointed out that his character's name was "Dead Man Walking". Makes as much sense as any other explanation. 😮
Everyone is saying “why didn’t he get in the car?” This is because he actually died, and the light is Heaven. The events that happened were the limbo in between him dying and passing on to the next life and the “Thingamajig” was him if he never escaped the limbo. So the reason he didn’t get into the car was because he didn’t need it. Also the reason he was limping is because when you get electrocuted the shock goes to your feet because it is the easiest way for the electricity to exit you. I know this is a lot of reading but I hope it helps!
This Was Actually Super Dope!!! I Love How It All Made Sense In The End. And What's Crazy Is- A Lot Folks Aren't Even Going To See The Depth In This Flick!! Bravo, 5 Stars Across The Board!!! 👌🏾💯⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
And here I was expecting an adaptation of “The Thingamajig Book of Manners” from my childhood and got suuuuuper excited. Then I watched it and got suuuuuuper freaked out, which is just about as fun 🤘🏻
this had me totally invested which is very rare these days. Top marks. I am eager to see what this team can make next and wish the man in the film good luck on his retirement and/or getting a job that lets him be home at sundown.
Pretty impressive tbh, a commendable accomplishment of low-budget horror. Plus, no spoilers but I love this motif and never get tired of this type of story
This was great. The score, the psychological aspect, all put perfectly together. Paranoia, unknown, fear, loneliness, monsters, lack of resources, great work !
One simple concept expanded trumps most of the Hollywood horror productions. No jump scares, superb acting, and edge of your seat suspense. Now if I could just figure out the ending...
Ignoring the fact that making a short that requires literally no background, no character development, no real beginning, no pacing, etc is unfathomably easier than making a feature length film, and ignoring the fact that all Hollywood writers can easily make short films better than this, this film simply isn't that great. Yeah they don't use jump scares. Instead they use cheap, gimmicky, drawn out segments to force "suspense". Like him lighting the match to light his cigarette multiple times while the lights are flickering, not realizing he can use the matches for light even though literally every single person watching immediately figured that out. Then when he finally does use the match for light, he just stands there forever staring and letting the match die. Cheap suspense. Then he "oh my gosh drops all the matches oh no". Again, cheap manufactured suspense. Then when his match is dying he spends 30 seconds trying to light another one on the box when it clearly isn't working, and wasting time until finally doing what literally everyone would do in the first place and just use the already burning match to light it. More cheap manufactured suspense. Then more just staring as the match burns down again. And as he's finally crossing to the other light, he wastes SO much time standing still, staring into the darkness, laying down and not moving after being grabbed by the creature, just absolutely zero sense of urgency. And why is that? To create a cheap, forced, and unrealistic feeling of suspense. And that's only on the first half of the film. Oh, and let's not forget the absolutely cliche "oh my gosh, I'm down to my final match" garbage haha. For some reason people love to pretend that all short films are these amazing things that no one else could do and that totally are better than everything in hollywood. And when those people, like you, give those ridiculous praises to these short films you overlook and ignore all the faults and cliches that you would absolutely critique if they were in a feature film. But for some reason you don't care about them in short films lol.
@StriverOseven-fx8pl Almost as ridiculous as someone who uses more text space than an actual movie critic would use on a film review to criticize someone who just really liked a short film.
This was an AMAZING and HIGHLY CREEPY/CREATIVE short film! How come Hollywood doesn’t tap into these writers to make their films? They keep remaking movies that have been made over and over again. I mean how many times can you do “Halloween”?
It's the curse of capitalism, I guess. Profit drives everything, and so you pander to where the money is: simple-minded movies that don't require too much thinking or concentration.
@ sad isn’t it? The messed up part is when GOOD things become commercialized. Smile, Halloween, Blair Witch Project all examples of good Indy movies that Hollywood grabbed and made commercial and messed them up.
I think this has a lot to say about problem solving skills, or a lack thereof. The way he struggled to strike a match rather than lighting it off the still burning match. All the matches (resources) he dithered away rather than using them to reach one of the other islands of light. Making to the next light, then discovering he was back at the original one (wherever you go, there you are). Lighting a cig while under stress because choosing to smoke establishes an illusion of control. And yes, limping away from the running truck. Very well done.
it reminds me of a story a friend of mine told me (we were talking about dog brains): A classteacher gave each children a thumb trab to solve. Every single one did the wrong thing a dozen of times. Instead of trying instantly new paths, everyone kept trying the same thing over and over again (this HAS to work, or doesnt it?!). It just shows that, sometimes, the solution can be SO easy but it will remain hidden. (for dogs, this means we need to show them new ways to behave, because whats obvious for US, just isnt obvious for them.)
Excellent, excellent, EXCELLENT!!! Plot, characters, acting, ALL just perfect. I really so hope you do something else with this, please! A sequel or full length feature, whatever just more of this❤
That's one hell of a way to look at a near death experience. I understood why he chose to walk, 😅 homeboy was shook! Plus he was just electrocuted I think he wanted to just walk it out 😂. 🤷♀️🤦♀️🤣💯 loved it!
That was my take-away as well. And I also agree that THINGAMAJIG was an interesting impression of an NDE. "The Light" is such a major component of NDE experiences. This short had me chewing on it for a while after viewing it, which for me is usually a sign of a well-made low/no-budget film.
Well, not so much to walk it off, but perhaps because he had "learned" from the nightmare and felt safer just staying in the light and walking to stay in the next area of light. Or, he felt he was in no condition to drive and that could result in his death as well. Most probably it was done that way to get us to watch the credits.
I think the thingamajig represents the truth and all the light posts represent lies he’s built to keep himself safe and when the “truth” aka the thingamajig shows its ugly head it topples everyone of his lies
An interesting thing I noticed is in the end credits the main character seems to get the title; "Dead Man Walking"(26:34) wich could be a of expressing that his experiance was a NDE as he was not supposed to bge alive and thus he would be a dead man living or in other words A dead man walking.
It reminds me (in a different way, but still in the sort of "glitch in the matrix") of the sub reddit post "Parallel life, Awaken by a lamp" posted by /temptotassson in which OP lives an entire life in the moments after a head injury. He eventually awakes from this dream when he notices that something is strange about a lamp in his house. or this one : "It's cold out there, better hoagie down". I think everybody knows them. This short movie is excellent! No dialogue, all acting and direction. Good stories don't need a profusion of special effects, jump-scares etc.
Absolutely brilliant on so many levels !!! ❤️🔥❤️🔥I was completely focused on every moment he made!!! The lighting really made it pop out even more!! Great job all involved ❤️🔥❤️🔥Ps I always have a flashlight on me 🔦
Absolutely awesome video. Great actor, great monster, great concept. I hope to see more like this. This was great. Whoever the actor was should DEFINITELY try for a roll in a silent hill film. He got James Sunderland vibes for sure
I'm not entirely sure I understand why he chose to walk down the dark road alone, injured, towards an unknown destination rather than getting into the truck. That said, this was brilliantly done otherwise! Phenomenal concept, acting, cinematography, and effects!
When high-voltage electricity has passed through your body, driving is probably not a good idea. I mean, he can barely walk, how is he supposed to drive??
@nickfilippos3340 I never actually said he should drive, but rather just to get inside the truck (and perhaps call for help?). Like you said, he can barely walk. So trudging off into the unknown, alone, injured, in the dark, hardly seems like the practical choice.
1) He's injured, can't drive 2) Probably creators wanted to show it's relatively safe to move through darkness to the light source, but just in case he still turns the flashlight on. :) I think they needed to show him walking to the light source like in alternative world. Indicating he really escaped and there is nothing to be scared of rn.
Great film! The trap-situation reminded me of The Curve, which probably is my favourite short thriller ever. I think the monster could have remained a bit more abstract. The idea of an immense darkness ful of threatening creatures was scary enough for me. I Liked the switch to 'reality' at the end!
Wow this was really good! I'm really glad that once he woke up, the monster wasn't in the real world because a lot of bad horror shorts or movies will try to pull something like that for a cheap scare. I liked the "Lies" concept and the idea that this was all just in his head while he was passed out was really good. My only complaint would be the pacing. It was really slow at times. This works for some shorts or movies but it didn't really work here in my opinion. A lot of the scenes could have been cut out and the story would have still worked perfectly fine. Had a majority of the filler long shots been shortened or replaced I think it would have been much easier to watch. I also don't understand why he walked away at the end. His left foot was injured but he could still drive. Just doesn't make much sense to me imo. It doesn't bring the story down or anything, just a bit confusing. Great Short Film!
@NorthernMouse52 If all we say is "great job, it's perfect!" The creators have no real worthwhile feedback, meaning they can't improve. Constructive criticism is important. I'd rather have someone who always points out my flaws than a yes man.
When high-voltage electricity has passed through your body, driving is probably not a good idea. I mean, he can barely walk, how is he supposed to drive??
@@nickfilippos3340 He was able to lunge and roll out of the road, light up a smoke, stand up and walk. You could argue that he was took shaken up maybe but that still doesn't explain leaving the car on and walking for who knows how far until you get help. At the very least resting in the car would have been a smarter idea. (Not to mention that his left leg is the injured one. You use your right leg to drive) In Short, he could still drive in a straight line just fine based on his previous actions.
This was INCREDIBLE!!!! Subscribed immediately!!!! I love how you guys made the red of his cigarette stand off so eerily against the already earie blue light.
He saw one light was out, and he is still mentally disturbed by his vision? or how you wish to describe it. He walks away from the "one-light truck", with his flashlight, toward a light in the distance, prophecy.
When high-voltage electricity has passed through your body, driving is probably not a good idea. I mean, he can barely walk, how is he supposed to drive??
When high-voltage electricity has passed through your body, driving is probably not a good idea. I mean, he can barely walk, how is he supposed to drive??
i love this. idk how but you guys stretched a somewhat simple idea into 30 minutes and not once did it feel dry. still have to watch straw man, but im looking forward to whatever u make next, whenever that may be :)
Base things on real life things they've heard or seen. Like the true story of the guy seeing the Upside-down lamp in his home, had a wife, 10 and 8 year old kid. While staring at the lamp one day trying to figure out why he was seeing only it Upside-down, he became aware as "waking up", in his back staring up at a lamp post on the sidewalk with prime standing all around. Found out he'd been knocked out for a few minutes by a guy, and had lived a while lifetime growing up and having his own kids. It was like real life to him. He had to go to therapy for years to mourn the fake family he dreamt up while knocked out.
When I see these moments in horrors where the protag only has a match I'm always like well start burning your clothes or die? But so few ever take their clothes and light them on fire
I'm probably gonna watch this one again. 😮❤ it was very good and made one sit and contemplate the cosmos...😂no not really but life and death maybe! ❤❤❤❤ great short! Thanks for upload! 😊
Idiot has a lit match and instead of daisy chaining them as one goes out he sets the lit one on the ground trying to strike another one while panicking. He eventually figured it out, but jesus. 😂
Minimalist and eerie af. Love the premise of dropping a guy into that situation, no explanation, just have to go with it. I didn’t think that the chalk outline was a could be, instead of a reality, so the end was a total surprise! And I love that there was no jump scare with the thingamajig at the end. It makes the slightly disturbed feel cling on, rather than using some cheap fright to ruin the mood you carefully built up to. Loved it!
Really? How do you propose they do that? Not only would the concept not work as more than a short film, there is a reason these types of concepts are made this way. I cannot imagine how 2 hours of this would make it better. These short films are prefect for the length.
This is how you make a horror movie. The build up, the slow burn, the tension, the terror. This short film is much more meaningful than hollywood movies in 2024
I'm so fed up with the jumpscares. You know it's horror done right when it doesn't make you just scream, it makes you shout "OH, SHIT!"
Jump scares have their place but too many moves and games rely on them more than they should and not enough on atmosphere and tension building. Yes, getting startled bumps up your heart rate and nervousness but that's not the same as a slow buildup and reveal
Fr bro
2024 was actually not too bad for horror.
Jump scares have their place in horror. Smile 2 struck a nice balance between most of the things you mentioned. I would argue that slow burn has worn out its welcome in the genre, especially when there's no payoff, or the payoff doesn't warrant sitting through the entire film.
Nah. This was an awful short film. Get your eyes checked.
this is so frickin' well done. the lighting on the creature's face... the dread, just all of it, props.
I love the usage of sound here and the lack of vocal acting. This is a style choice that isn't easy to pull off, but is a very effective way to tell a story when done right. Exposition often creates a disconnect from the viewer. It's somebody else giving the information. This style, in contrast, can make you feel what the character does. So the information partially comes from within yourself. Anybody who has ever had night terrors knows the feeling of not being able to make a sound. You can't scream or even whisper. You may even be unable to tell if you're breathing or not.
The usage of chalk was a cool style choice, too. Wherever you found to use for your filming location was great, also. I used to live in the middle of nowhere and I walked to the store into the next town at night. Started walking at midnight and didn't get there till 5am. There were many street lights that were out on the road I was walking down and the ones that were lit were very far between each other. So I was able to feel what the character felt in the film. I wish more filmmakers would use this method of storytelling, especially in the horror genre. Exposition and over-explanation is getting so tiring. Great work to everyone involved.
you were doing 5 hour walks in the middle of the night to get some cigarettes? lol
@@BlessedFallout I was out of them and that was the closest place to buy them. I didn't have a car lol I'm so happy I quit smoking since then.
@@Monius13 stop lying. It’s a made up story. Walking to the store that’s 5 hours away… and you have to come back. You don’t even smoke. You never mentioned you smoke and I wrote “cigarettes” as a random example, and suddenly cigarettes were the reason you walked! What a BS… stop pretending to be somebody you are not, just be you. Don’t resort to lying and making stuff up to get likes, it’s pathetic.
@@Monius1310 hours and half of it with grocerys is wild. How long did it take to get to school?
Crazy how a (Skeleton Crew) can take two light poles and some chalk and make a better film than most box office productions.
This movie is LIES - LEGENDARY, INSANCE, EPIC, SURREAL. thank you for this long time forgotten experience in the horror genre.
This was pretty well done… the tension, confusion, little details and clues trying to figure it out, the monster in the distance or all around , the feeling of dread and doom approaching… nicely done and better than most big budget movies out there … def a good job with limited resources and FX, proving you don’t need a lot to create something special
I seriously got an add right at the spooky walking part....what a buzz kill
Im yellint USE THE LIT MATCH!!😂 what are we doing here sir
My thoughts exactly
Saaame
I really liked this one! Well done and the lack of dialogue wasn't a problem. Very well done!
Spoken dialogue, yea.
Writing on the ground that narrates the whole thing is kinda does the same thing.
I watch short movies all the time and I’ll have to say this is probably one of the best if not the best I’ve ever watched
100% agree!!
Sometimes dreams, or nightmares, are linked to reality. This nightmare saved his life.
You want to hear something really trippy? I don't believe dreams are just random pictures you see in your head. I believe that when you're asleep, you are able to see into other timelines that your life has taken. With every decision we make. The other decision that wasn't made is still made and life goes on from both decisions. Basically branching out like a tree. The other decision may end up having you lose your lives in 10 minutes and then the soul from your departed timeline goes back to the closest timeline and melds with the other soul. When you dream you are seeing those other timelines. I know people will then say well why do my dreams seem so erratic and like they don't make sense? That's because the operational program that controls this entire simulation is actively working to erase what you saw and distort what you saw in the dreams so that you don't figure it out. That's why dreams seem so weird and erratic. Because pieces are being taken away.
@@TheTexasViking I've heard that dreams are experiences from your soul and possibly cryptid messages from the afterlife and I don't belive that all dreams are like that, but I do like to belive that some of my deeper dreams have those kinds of meanings. I mean I literally learned that some of my ancestors where native americains after I had a dream about sperits that possesed trees and objects and i could only see them when they pessesed objects but I could only hear them when they possesed the trees. and then after that dream i told my dad about it and how my dream resembled the belifs of some indigenous people, wich i learned in school the day before I had my dream, and then my dad told me that his side of the family, specificly my grandpa had indeginous roots being the mi'kmaq and that they enhabited the east coast of Canada. anyway I wanted to share my view along with a related experience, if you see this I want to know if you have had any of your own spiritual dream experiences!
@@toxicflame2902 I definitely believe dreams are not just simple dreams.
What makes you assume he wasn't dead in the end?
@@TheTexasVikingThere is a way to explore these timelines at will, if one so desires, but I would not recommend it. That being said, I believe there is a place between timelines that you must traverse to enter the alternate. A dark place where there are many unfamiliar things. Things you didn’t know the mind could conjure up, watching, waiting to enter thoughts and dreams in the darkened corners of your mind where nothing happens. The things in your nightmares that you don’t understand from beyond all timelines, there to skew and meld them with the timeless.
The key to exploring the dreamworld is to stay lucid by tricking your mind by questioning reality when you’re awake so that you can do the same in your dreams. Much like being on psychedelics, reminding yourself that you are not entirely in reality to stay calm. Try lucid dreaming at your own risk however. One can get lost in the dark, trapped in a cycle, loosing their sense of reality, their true timeline entirely.
Wow, what an amazing short. I was so scared. I thought that beast was going to devour him. I'm sure there is symbolism..is it about death, trying to overcome death, our deepest fears and insecurities?
Actor was incredible. I felt like I was right there with him.
Nicely done, had a near death experience, “bcuz he got shocked nearly to death on the job which is what we get from the end” nd had to figure out his way back to reality to save himself from actually dying crazy😂
This has to be one of the most creative short horror films I've seen. Loved the ending too.
1- Thanks a lot to the one who did the C.C!!
2- THIS is an excellent exercise in suspense, especially supernatural thriller. Got me as an involuntary witness yelling at The DeadMan Walking to follow the leads and be careful!
3- That sound design is A HELL OF SOUND DESIGN!
And finally 4: I think that the lead character credited as The DeadMan Walking is an indication that he's already dead.
Am I the only one who thinks that??
Great short supernatural thriller film
9/10 for me
Another commenter suggested that he was, indeed, dead and pointed out that his character's name was "Dead Man Walking". Makes as much sense as any other explanation. 😮
Just speachless... A Angel Called Thingamajig... 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Great job! The pacing, the anticipation, it's all just in place.
Everyone is saying “why didn’t he get in the car?” This is because he actually died, and the light is Heaven. The events that happened were the limbo in between him dying and passing on to the next life and the “Thingamajig” was him if he never escaped the limbo. So the reason he didn’t get into the car was because he didn’t need it. Also the reason he was limping is because when you get electrocuted the shock goes to your feet because it is the easiest way for the electricity to exit you. I know this is a lot of reading but I hope it helps!
Top 10 best short horrors out there. Amazing concept, this kept me on the edge for the entire time… can’t wait to see more from you🔥🔥
Masterfully done, my friend. Now THAT is suspense!
best horror ive seen in all of youtube
hope to see more from you guys
This Was Actually Super Dope!!! I Love How It All Made Sense In The End. And What's Crazy Is- A Lot Folks Aren't Even Going To See The Depth In This Flick!! Bravo, 5 Stars Across The Board!!! 👌🏾💯⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
You're right! I sure didn't!
This was amazing but you had to stay till the end to understand it! So glad l did! Totally get it!
And here I was expecting an adaptation of “The Thingamajig Book of Manners” from my childhood and got suuuuuper excited. Then I watched it and got suuuuuuper freaked out, which is just about as fun 🤘🏻
It literally says Horror in the title.
this had me totally invested which is very rare these days. Top marks. I am eager to see what this team can make next and wish the man in the film good luck on his retirement and/or getting a job that lets him be home at sundown.
This is one that made me think and watch every detail! Very VERY well done❤ Great movie.
Pretty impressive tbh, a commendable accomplishment of low-budget horror. Plus, no spoilers but I love this motif and never get tired of this type of story
Love weird ones like this. Very original and interesting. Great job!
This is definitely one of the best short horror videos I've seen in a long time.
Wow. Very intense. Loved the starkness of the environment. Great work.
Wow. Pure ART! MAGIC ☝🏼❤️🔥🦊👊🏼
Good and brilliant masterpiece 👍👍👍👍.
WoW! What a rollercoaster... the end was logic, but i was hoping for more. Well done! 👍
That's how I like it. Existential puzzle, find a way out, with a graceful ending.
That's all we could have hoped for. Thanks so much!
That's how I start to bring flashlight everywhere
He didn’t have anything tho none of his equipment
Added flashlight to my list if things to get.
This man gets it 👆
Also bring my gun for all kinds of monsters, human, not human, sudden zombie apocalypses
This was great. The score, the psychological aspect, all put perfectly together. Paranoia, unknown, fear, loneliness, monsters, lack of resources, great work !
One simple concept expanded trumps most of the Hollywood horror productions. No jump scares, superb acting, and edge of your seat suspense. Now if I could just figure out the ending...
Ignoring the fact that making a short that requires literally no background, no character development, no real beginning, no pacing, etc is unfathomably easier than making a feature length film, and ignoring the fact that all Hollywood writers can easily make short films better than this, this film simply isn't that great. Yeah they don't use jump scares. Instead they use cheap, gimmicky, drawn out segments to force "suspense". Like him lighting the match to light his cigarette multiple times while the lights are flickering, not realizing he can use the matches for light even though literally every single person watching immediately figured that out. Then when he finally does use the match for light, he just stands there forever staring and letting the match die. Cheap suspense. Then he "oh my gosh drops all the matches oh no". Again, cheap manufactured suspense. Then when his match is dying he spends 30 seconds trying to light another one on the box when it clearly isn't working, and wasting time until finally doing what literally everyone would do in the first place and just use the already burning match to light it. More cheap manufactured suspense. Then more just staring as the match burns down again. And as he's finally crossing to the other light, he wastes SO much time standing still, staring into the darkness, laying down and not moving after being grabbed by the creature, just absolutely zero sense of urgency. And why is that? To create a cheap, forced, and unrealistic feeling of suspense. And that's only on the first half of the film.
Oh, and let's not forget the absolutely cliche "oh my gosh, I'm down to my final match" garbage haha.
For some reason people love to pretend that all short films are these amazing things that no one else could do and that totally are better than everything in hollywood. And when those people, like you, give those ridiculous praises to these short films you overlook and ignore all the faults and cliches that you would absolutely critique if they were in a feature film. But for some reason you don't care about them in short films lol.
@StriverOseven-fx8pl Almost as ridiculous as someone who uses more text space than an actual movie critic would use on a film review to criticize someone who just really liked a short film.
This was an AMAZING and HIGHLY CREEPY/CREATIVE short film! How come Hollywood doesn’t tap into these writers to make their films? They keep remaking movies that have been made over and over again. I mean how many times can you do “Halloween”?
It's the curse of capitalism, I guess. Profit drives everything, and so you pander to where the money is: simple-minded movies that don't require too much thinking or concentration.
@ sad isn’t it? The messed up part is when GOOD things become commercialized. Smile, Halloween, Blair Witch Project all examples of good Indy movies that Hollywood grabbed and made commercial and messed them up.
I think this has a lot to say about problem solving skills, or a lack thereof. The way he struggled to strike a match rather than lighting it off the still burning match. All the matches (resources) he dithered away rather than using them to reach one of the other islands of light. Making to the next light, then discovering he was back at the original one (wherever you go, there you are). Lighting a cig while under stress because choosing to smoke establishes an illusion of control. And yes, limping away from the running truck. Very well done.
I'm missing it. Please explain to me how limping away from the truck is well done. Thank you.
@@Hoosier_765 Maybe he lost his skills.
it reminds me of a story a friend of mine told me (we were talking about dog brains): A classteacher gave each children a thumb trab to solve. Every single one did the wrong thing a dozen of times. Instead of trying instantly new paths, everyone kept trying the same thing over and over again (this HAS to work, or doesnt it?!). It just shows that, sometimes, the solution can be SO easy but it will remain hidden. (for dogs, this means we need to show them new ways to behave, because whats obvious for US, just isnt obvious for them.)
@MoonwolfAkirooo wtf are you talking about?!
@@Hoosier_765for real...Thumb Trab" 🤤
hands down my favorite short from Nightmare filmfest 2023! So cool to see this finally posted so i can show my friends.
This must be one of the first ones you watched.🤷♀️
Exceptionally creative. Such an unexpected turn out
Excellent, excellent, EXCELLENT!!!
Plot, characters, acting, ALL just perfect. I really so hope you do something else with this, please! A sequel or full length feature, whatever just more of this❤
That's one hell of a way to look at a near death experience. I understood why he chose to walk, 😅 homeboy was shook! Plus he was just electrocuted I think he wanted to just walk it out 😂. 🤷♀️🤦♀️🤣💯 loved it!
That was my take-away as well. And I also agree that THINGAMAJIG was an interesting impression of an NDE. "The Light" is such a major component of NDE experiences. This short had me chewing on it for a while after viewing it, which for me is usually a sign of a well-made low/no-budget film.
Well, not so much to walk it off, but perhaps because he had "learned" from the nightmare and felt safer just staying in the light and walking to stay in the next area of light. Or, he felt he was in no condition to drive and that could result in his death as well. Most probably it was done that way to get us to watch the credits.
I think the thingamajig represents the truth and all the light posts represent lies he’s built to keep himself safe and when the “truth” aka the thingamajig shows its ugly head it topples everyone of his lies
@@kylemaitland5892Now THAT’S a deep thought! 🤔
An interesting thing I noticed is in the end credits the main character seems to get the title; "Dead Man Walking"(26:34) wich could be a of expressing that his experiance was a NDE as he was not supposed to bge alive and thus he would be a dead man living or in other words A dead man walking.
Someone tell him you can light a match with an already burning match, you don't need the box!
It reminds me (in a different way, but still in the sort of "glitch in the matrix") of the sub reddit post "Parallel life, Awaken by a lamp" posted by /temptotassson in which OP lives an entire life in the moments after a head injury. He eventually awakes from this dream when he notices that something is strange about a lamp in his house.
or this one : "It's cold out there, better hoagie down". I think everybody knows them.
This short movie is excellent! No dialogue, all acting and direction. Good stories don't need a profusion of special effects, jump-scares etc.
Mind blowing, I am pretty sure I will be watching this again.
Absolutely brilliant on so many levels !!! ❤️🔥❤️🔥I was completely focused on every moment he made!!! The lighting really made it pop out even more!! Great job all involved ❤️🔥❤️🔥Ps I always have a flashlight on me 🔦
Absolutely awesome video. Great actor, great monster, great concept. I hope to see more like this. This was great. Whoever the actor was should DEFINITELY try for a roll in a silent hill film. He got James Sunderland vibes for sure
This had some really cool twists, loved it!
Great concept for a contained horror! Lighting was excellent!
Best short film I’ve watched in years
This was amazing. So well done.
I'm not entirely sure I understand why he chose to walk down the dark road alone, injured, towards an unknown destination rather than getting into the truck. That said, this was brilliantly done otherwise! Phenomenal concept, acting, cinematography, and effects!
When high-voltage electricity has passed through your body, driving is probably not a good idea. I mean, he can barely walk, how is he supposed to drive??
@nickfilippos3340 I never actually said he should drive, but rather just to get inside the truck (and perhaps call for help?). Like you said, he can barely walk. So trudging off into the unknown, alone, injured, in the dark, hardly seems like the practical choice.
1) He's injured, can't drive
2) Probably creators wanted to show it's relatively safe to move through darkness to the light source, but just in case he still turns the flashlight on. :)
I think they needed to show him walking to the light source like in alternative world. Indicating he really escaped and there is nothing to be scared of rn.
@@nickfilippos3340 better than walk
imo it ties back to his experience with not trusting the light
The ending was pretty cool.
Great film! The trap-situation reminded me of The Curve, which probably is my favourite short thriller ever. I think the monster could have remained a bit more abstract. The idea of an immense darkness ful of threatening creatures was scary enough for me. I Liked the switch to 'reality' at the end!
Wow this was really good! I'm really glad that once he woke up, the monster wasn't in the real world because a lot of bad horror shorts or movies will try to pull something like that for a cheap scare. I liked the "Lies" concept and the idea that this was all just in his head while he was passed out was really good.
My only complaint would be the pacing. It was really slow at times. This works for some shorts or movies but it didn't really work here in my opinion. A lot of the scenes could have been cut out and the story would have still worked perfectly fine. Had a majority of the filler long shots been shortened or replaced I think it would have been much easier to watch.
I also don't understand why he walked away at the end. His left foot was injured but he could still drive. Just doesn't make much sense to me imo. It doesn't bring the story down or anything, just a bit confusing.
Great Short Film!
Really???
That's your opinion and your welcome to it, but you are wrong the story pacing was just fine! 🐭
@NorthernMouse52 If all we say is "great job, it's perfect!" The creators have no real worthwhile feedback, meaning they can't improve. Constructive criticism is important. I'd rather have someone who always points out my flaws than a yes man.
When high-voltage electricity has passed through your body, driving is probably not a good idea. I mean, he can barely walk, how is he supposed to drive??
@@nickfilippos3340 He was able to lunge and roll out of the road, light up a smoke, stand up and walk. You could argue that he was took shaken up maybe but that still doesn't explain leaving the car on and walking for who knows how far until you get help. At the very least resting in the car would have been a smarter idea. (Not to mention that his left leg is the injured one. You use your right leg to drive)
In Short, he could still drive in a straight line just fine based on his previous actions.
The best short film I have seen. Very good writing and acting.
ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT!!!
Superb. Well done
Bro almost dies, hurts his leg, then is like, screw it I'll walk, with his truck there and probably his phone in there too lol
Also wasted every match before even starting out to the next light. This guy isn't the brightest.
Alright yeah, that was fun. I liked the whole 'hidden in plain sight' thing.
Shouldn't have let us see the thingamajig so clearly though 👍🏻
This was INCREDIBLE!!!! Subscribed immediately!!!! I love how you guys made the red of his cigarette stand off so eerily against the already earie blue light.
Thanks so much for watching! I spent a loooong time colorizing those shots so thanks for noticing!
this was a fun ride for me watching this short film the quality is amazing
Why didnt he drive the truck? Makes no sense
It's SURREAL
I guess , he wanted to go to the light at the end of the road like he did before.
It's works vehicle. He quit I believe.
He saw one light was out, and he is still mentally disturbed by his vision? or how you wish to describe it. He walks away from the "one-light truck", with his flashlight, toward a light in the distance, prophecy.
When high-voltage electricity has passed through your body, driving is probably not a good idea. I mean, he can barely walk, how is he supposed to drive??
positive to positive, negative to negative.
Freaking good horror! Well played, filmed & scripted!
What a low budget gem! Almost a dark comedy because of the monster's effects. Like his crustacean appendages! 😂 😊
Absolutely great! Compelling.
This was exceedingly cool!! Well done!!
Ok I'm ready for the sequel. "Thingamabob"😅
Well done 👏👏Well shot and suspensful.
I liked it because it's scary but I'm at a loss as to why he didn't drive away in the truck..? Keep 'em coming. This is good.
Because he was a dumbass.
When high-voltage electricity has passed through your body, driving is probably not a good idea. I mean, he can barely walk, how is he supposed to drive??
@@nickfilippos3340 Why not drive? I've never heard any reason not to if you need to get to safety.
Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
@@nickfilippos3340 That's retarded
i love this. idk how but you guys stretched a somewhat simple idea into 30 minutes and not once did it feel dry. still have to watch straw man, but im looking forward to whatever u make next, whenever that may be :)
Why didn't he get in the truck? Maybe he was in ⚡️SHOCK ⚡️
😂 😂😂
Just brilliant, excellent film making.
One of the best shorts ever! Very well done! Love and respect from the Netherlands ❤
Really very well done. Hats off ❤
Compelling viewing. A big Well done to all involved.
WHO thinks up these dark, insidious flicks??
thumbs up
@@jordanfan5896
i see...thanks
Base things on real life things they've heard or seen. Like the true story of the guy seeing the Upside-down lamp in his home, had a wife, 10 and 8 year old kid. While staring at the lamp one day trying to figure out why he was seeing only it Upside-down, he became aware as "waking up", in his back staring up at a lamp post on the sidewalk with prime standing all around. Found out he'd been knocked out for a few minutes by a guy, and had lived a while lifetime growing up and having his own kids. It was like real life to him. He had to go to therapy for years to mourn the fake family he dreamt up while knocked out.
@@rylansworld3061
I see....🤔
@@sa1ntluke
🤣😂🤣
Very fascinating - well done ! 👍
I finally was engaged in a horror short, and this was very good!
Very good,i like this one very much
When I see these moments in horrors where the protag only has a match I'm always like well start burning your clothes or die? But so few ever take their clothes and light them on fire
I'm probably gonna watch this one again. 😮❤ it was very good and made one sit and contemplate the cosmos...😂no not really but life and death maybe! ❤❤❤❤ great short! Thanks for upload! 😊
Excellent work.
Great horror movie and i'm new here can't wait for more movies.
Enjoyed this one. Well done.
Great sound!
Surpreendente!!!! Adorei
Idiot has a lit match and instead of daisy chaining them as one goes out he sets the lit one on the ground trying to strike another one while panicking. He eventually figured it out, but jesus. 😂
Really well done! Creepy AF!😮❤
I keep wondering why he doesn't go any fucking slower. Standing around watching his matches burn out.
@YNVNEone - What are you, a teenager trying to sound cool by dropping the F-bomb? You could have made your point without the obscenity.
@@howardoller443 lighten the fuck up Howard. It's just a silly word. Why are you giving it so much power?
@@howardoller443lighten the fuck up howard. it's just a silly word. you are the one giving it power.
@howardoller443 yeah but cursing makes the point that much fuckin clearer
@@bowsreal7079 That is not true, at all. Grow up, buddy.
Wickedly cool... kudos
This was incredible
Minimalist and eerie af. Love the premise of dropping a guy into that situation, no explanation, just have to go with it. I didn’t think that the chalk outline was a could be, instead of a reality, so the end was a total surprise! And I love that there was no jump scare with the thingamajig at the end. It makes the slightly disturbed feel cling on, rather than using some cheap fright to ruin the mood you carefully built up to. Loved it!
This needs to be a feature film now
Really? How do you propose they do that? Not only would the concept not work as more than a short film, there is a reason these types of concepts are made this way. I cannot imagine how 2 hours of this would make it better. These short films are prefect for the length.
Chill dude it's just an opinion
Bravo 👏
Como se ele tivesse entre a vida e a morte, lutando para sobreviver, a luz representando o último suspiro de vida ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Lol, the match should had went out the way he was running 😂1💯✌🏽👍🏾