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Short horror films guaranteed to sh*t you up this Halloween

Tis the season to hide behind your sofa

Short horror films guaranteed to sh*t you up this Halloween
27 October 2016

Do you like being scared?

Like, properly scared? Chew through your finger nails, can't even blink, unable to sleep scared?

You're weird. But you've also come to the right place to sate your thirst for thrills. To get you in the mood for Halloween, we've amassed some of the most trouser-ruining short films haunting the internet for your enjoyment:


The Smiling Man

Length: 6:00

Best for: Clowns

Scary clowns are something of the zeitgeist of modern horror, but this short - that made the cut for the SXSW festival - restores some chilling subtlety to the genre. It's not going to make you smile. 


The Thing In The Apartment

Length: 9:41

Best for: Feeling deeply unsettled

You don't live alone do you? Good, then you'll be okay watching this atmospheric piece about finding something in your own home. 


Strange Thing

Length: 9:06

Best for: Story

Before Stranger Things there was Strange Thing - a horror short that also plays on Eighties themes and portals, but with a more sinister slant than the Netflix hit. 


Off Season

Length: 12:30

Best for: Tension

A man and his best friend (dog) are exploring a desolate bleak wasteland, scavenging from apparently holiday homes. One of them contains a less than warm welcome.


The Black Hole

Length: 2:27

Best for: A twist

Nothing goes bump in the dark here - this is a psychological nail ruiner that demonstrates what can happen if you let yourself abuse your power. 


He Took His Skin Off For Me

Length: 9:55

Best for: Skin-crawling special effects 

What would you do for the love of your life? Write awful poetry? Play a cliched song? How about peel all your skin off? 


One Last Dive

Length: 1:00

Best for: Jumps

It’s short, to the point and may induce cardiac arrest. One last dive...


The Smiling Man

Length: 3:26

Best for: Constant sense of peril 

A man is out for a late night walk and comes across a smiling man. Nothing scary about that…


Mama

Length: 3:27

Best for: Adrenalin hit

A short film so scary that Guillermo del Toro made it into a feature. Mummy’s home… 


Lights Out

Length: 2:29

Best for: Total dread 

You’re just shuffling off to bed and flick off out the lights. But... did you see something? A short that's picked up a truck-load of awards for being ensuring the end of your day will remain utterly retched for the rest of the month.


Tuck Me In

Length: 0:50

Best for: Creepy kids

More unsettling than out right scary, this one’s a creepy take on the monster under the bed classic.