The film is stunning and horrifying at the same time, making it the most wonderful treat for the intelligent horror viewer. Thanks to its VFX, there is a surreal, other-worldly feel to it which cannot be simply chalked down to its supernatural subject. It also employs a beautiful metaphor about the overwhelming, and thus sometimes scary, innate power of the self when allowed to spread it wings unbridled. By its choice of the protagonist to be a woman, the story further becomes a comment on female energy and gender, another aspect that is engaged with in the film. Five women head to a property for a holiday where they play with a Ouija board. Their seance is seemingly left incomplete followed by a subsequent shot of women dancing in the moonlight in a garden. The scene is beautifully crafted like a ritual in itself as the women move freely without the inhibition of ideas of body, shame, guilt or self-consciousness of any kind. The all-female space in the process gives a glimpse into a world where women are perhaps free of all societal and cultural constructs that threaten to curb their freedom in different ways. The narrative is conjured beautifully where horror exists not simply to shock the unsuspecting viewer, but to also disconcert them by introducing them with its exploration of the self, its core beliefs and conditioning, and the sense of power and control.

White Echo

Not for the haters of jump-scares, but oh, what a ride is ‘Paranormal Investigators’! While horror-comedy might not be the easiest genre to deal with, efficiently employing the characteristics of the two categories to both amuse and horrify, Markus Meedt makes it look like a walk in the park. The film employs elements from both, ensuring each punch lands as intended. 

It is Abi’s first day at BPIT or the British Paranormal Investigation Team, when things soon begin to devolve into absolute chaos. What may have begun with a brief collision with hostile colleagues, soon takes the form of a haunting that is sure to stay with the entire BPIT team for a long, long time. 

Pushed in a corner in the face of an invincible adversary, both metaphorically and quite literally, the characters have little to turn to for help, when something unexpected happens. The narrative’s path to this eventual point of release is an entertaining, engrossing one. The characters are endearing and amusing, and in the process, ensure that you end up going all the way with them on this frightening, exciting journey.

Paranormal Investigators | Short Film of the Month

The film is a brief, crisp, fast-paced story about a woman who is grappling with immense change in her life. Sam has recently moved to a new city with her husband. Away from loved ones and a life she was more familiar with, she now finds herself physically and emotionally isolated. 

 Throughout the film, there is an overarching suggestion of the loneliness she battles in her marriage as well. With an absentee husband, Sam only has her own terrors and nightmares as companions in the darkness of the night. The film explores all of this and some more in its few minutes, roping in jump scares and a suggestion of the darkness of the human mind, to bring its intended horrors to life. 

 There is a suggestion of the internal demons of the mind making their way into the corporeal, physical reality of the protagonist, while keeping the viewer guessing about the nature of the haunting - whether supernatural or psychological. In the process, the final result becomes an engaging and absorbing ride, one that will keep you at the edge of your seat all along.

A Bitter Murmur | Short Film of the Day

Of the many phrases and phenomenon that have surfaced from the world of dating in the last couple of years, 'ghosting' remains an oft discussed entity. Using it as a starting point for the viewer's introduction to its premise, Ghost Me portrays the story of a single night when Kat and Joe meet for a cozy, intimate date. And yet, amidst wine and flirtatious banter, the most unexpected revelation awaits Joe. The seemingly cheery house of his date is haunted, and by multiple ghosts indeed. 

 The audience's surprise and uncertainty with the direction the evening is now headed in finds a reflection in Joe's reaction as well. However, instead of getting daunted by this new piece of information, he chooses to give the idea of a potential relationship with Kat a chance. 

 The narrative that thus develops exhibits a dedication to storytelling, employing jump scares, but steering clear of the usual traps of the approach that may weigh down an endeavor of the kind. As it intermingles horror with humor, at the heart of the plot rests a metal, floral box, with its dainty aesthetic in synchronization with the rest of the apartment. It contains secrets the unearthing of which will pack a shocking climax for the viewer, and also the answer about the conclusion of this strange, potentially fateful night.

Ghost Me | Short Film of the Day

When the film opens, it is on a fairly harmless note. The room is indeed marked by a massive pile of clothes meant for laundry, one that simply serves to make it seem like a scene of average domesticity. However, the viewer realises before the protagonist that something deeply disturbing is afoot in the house. Shadows soon acquire a shape, form and mind of their own. Electricity seems to be controlled by a force darker than we understand. Consequently, the protagonist is soon left battling a supernatural presence and its many manifestations that he is only beginning to face. The film is short and precise, and endeavours to make the viewer sit up and pay attention to the happenings of a house where everything seems amiss. The pivotal concern chosen to explore a horrifying set of events is quite mundane and ordinary in itself, dirty laundry, thereby catching the viewer by surprise when the narrative finally reveals its true motive.

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