IT CAME FROM YOUTUBE! – Stay Hidden (2017)
Minimalist horror is one of those types of horror sub genres that you either love or hate. For me, I’ve always been split on it. On one end, the fact that you are able to rely strictly on atmosphere to create terror is impressive. On the other end, I am a product of 80’s and 90’s horror movies like A Nightmare on Elm Street and Hellraiser that not only relied on atmosphere but amazing special effects makeup and gore.
But when minimalist horror is done well, you almost don’t miss the gore and special effects. One such example is this week’s pick for IT CAME FROM YOUTUBE!, the Aussie indie short, “Stay Hidden”.
Produced by Dion Cavallaro, Paul Evans Thomas, and Cain Harrip, the film follows a girl running from some dark and sinister creature in an abandoned rural/industrial area. The film is a text book example of what can be done with a minimalist approach to horror. The cinematography paints a bleak picture of the world with wide open areas tinted in desaturated blue. The lead in the film (“The Girl” played by Lani Gerbi) does a decent job of portraying a girl in fear of her life. With a movie that isn’t relying on dialogue to convey emotion, all the action has to really come from the physical performance.
The creature design for this kind of movie is fairly simple and the filmmakers played into that. Dylan Warren’s physicality as the lanky, pale, veined, creature offers that little bit of “we need to see the monster” that this minimalist horror film needed. He is presented in silhouette or as blurred out by the shallow depth of field of the camera. But this monster would not be complete without the terrifying sound design. The screams of the monster are honestly the best parts of the film. The fact we hear this over simply seeing the monster adds to the sense of terror.
My only critique is that I felt some of the cinematography for the interior and exterior car shots were not the most dynamic in comparison to the rest of the film. It would have been great to see these shots build from wide to close up, each shot ratcheting up the tension, and then peak with that first instance of the creature’s scream.
“Stay Hidden” is a fantastic short film that goes to show you that minimalist horror is nothing to scoff at. Check out Freeze Frame Films on facebook and their website
Also check out the behind the scenes making of the film.
Is there a indie horror film on youtube that you want a review of for IT CAME FROM YOUTUBE!? Contact us at cinemapsychosshow@gmail.com or by going over to our Contact Page and drop us a line.
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