Horror is a genre that lends itself particularly well to the short film format. Just the merest flash or suggestion of something unusual is often more effective and more insidious than something like a head-spinning girl, or even a hundred of the little darlings.
And the internet is awash with these terrifying miniature gems, so we've picked out a selection of the very scariest.
Don’t watch before bed time. Or by yourself. Or with the lights off. Actually, think very seriously before watching any of these at all.
The Smiling Man
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.
Off Season
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.
Lights Out
You’re just off to bed and you switch out the lights. But wait, did you see something? No. Sure…
Tuck Me In
More unsettling than out right scary, this one’s a creepy take on the monster under the bed classic.
The Thing In The Apartment
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
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.
He Dies At The End
The clue’s in the title, right? Wrong. An almost unbearable build up, involving just a man and a computer, to an ending which is, well, we won’t ruin it.
The Smiling Man
A man is out for a late night walk and comes across a smiling man. Nothing scary about that…
One Last Dive
It’s short, to the point and may induce cardiac arrest.
Mama
A short film so scary that Guillermo del Toro made it into a feature (skip to 0.50 to avoid his intro). Mummy’s home…
He Took His Skin Off For Me
What would you do for the love of your life? Write awful poetry? Play a cliched song? How about peel all your skin off?
The Closet
What do people do when they think no one is watching? Pretty horrifying stuff it turns out, especially mum (again).
Bedfellows
A woman in bed with her boyfriend gets a call in the middle of the night from her boyfriend. But if he’s not there then…
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