[Editorial] 5 Slasher Short Horror Films

When people think of horror films, slashers are often the first thing that comes to mind. The sub-genres also spawned a wealth of horror icons: Freddy, Jason, Michael, Chucky - characters so recognisable we’re on first name terms with them. In many ways the slasher distills the genre down to some of its fundamental parts - fear, violence and murder.

In the slasher, the killer has one basic purpose: to up their body count as much as possible. That doesn't mean that there’s no room for subtlety or nuance in the slasher - through the decades the form’s been subverted, revamped, refreshed and reborn for new generations. Franchises such as Scream and the Child’s Play series have evolved to keep their approach fresh, while standalone originals like It Follows have brought new approaches to the very concept of a slasher. The slasher remains a rich subgenre for horror creatives, and this selection of shorts demonstrates the great creative work still being done with the classic idea of the psycho killer.

Slash-O-Lantern (2020)

Slash-O-Lantern utilises some of the most classic slasher themes - a small town, a returning killer and a holiday setting. The picturesque town of Hazel Falls is still living under a cloud since a spate of unsolved murders that began on Halloween three years previously, and the town nervously celebrates the holiday for another year, aware that the murderer is still out there. 16-year-old Kevin, alone on Halloween night, looks set to become the next victim, and must fight for his own life and all of Hazel Falls. While the concept is pure homage, Slash-O-Lantern is superbly executed, with beautiful cinematography evoking Halloween and the autumn season - a perfect short film to get you in the mood for spooky season.

Nightmare At The Arcade (2021)

The decade of the 80s is pretty well synonymous with the slasher genre, and NIghtmare Arcade serves up a nostalgia-tinged slashfest. Kelly and Jack are co-workers at an arcade, who come across an unfamiliar game while closing up. Though old, rusted and apparently out-of-order, the machine comes to life and releases a real-life axe murderer into the store. But a killer from an arcade machine doesn’t follow the normal rules, and the pair have to try and use hints from the game whilst fighting for their lives. Nightmare At The Arcade really captures the 80s-nostalgia wave of slashers, and would fit in perfectly to a retro slasher movie marathon.

Slasher (2021)

Slasher is a very modern take on the classic slasher, adding in techno-thriller elements to the traditional movie. A woman is using a VR system alone at home, and picks a new game to play called simply “Slasher”. It’s an augmented reality game which uses her own surroundings to bring a horror movie to life in her own house. But as the game goes on, it becomes a little too real, and the safety net of fiction begins to slip away. The use of VR is an interesting spin on the home invasion slasher, and the film makes great use of switches between the VR and real-life points of view to amp up the tension. The one-room setting and tech-based paranoia add a very effective feeling of claustrophobia.  

Good In Red (2021)

Not strictly a narrative short film, but the music video for The Midnight’s song “Good In Red” is an action-packed mini-slasher nonetheless. In a classic scenario, we see a group of teens headed out for a trip to a cabin in the woods. The stock characters  - jock, nerd, cheerleader and so on -  are all present and correct (and mirror almost exactly the characters in Drew Goddard’s The Cabin In The Woods). As is bound to happen in these situations, a killer appears and starts ruthlessly cutting down his victims, and it’s up to the final girl to defeat him. “Good In Red” is extremely fun, with grainy and glitchy 80s effects, bloody kills and a truly excellent fight sequence at the end. Plus it’s all soundtracked by a catchy, horror-themed tune!

Stalked (2021)

YouTube influencers Kate and Mike are on a tour seeking out the abandoned places of America. This mission brings them to the town of Slater Hill (also known as Slaughter Hill), with Mike’s sister Steph somewhat reluctantly in tow as cameraperson. The area lives up to its spooky reputation, with old creepy barns and vast cornfields adding to the atmosphere. Tensions in the group lead to them splitting up (never a good idea), and they realise that the town may not be quite as abandoned as they thought. Stalked is a well-paced and eerie rural slasher, and uses the tropes of this type of slasher to great effect. Cornfields will never not be extremely unsettling, and the setting feels truly unnerving. Creating a memorable and menacing slasher character is no easy feat, and this film has one of the most strikingly gruesome character designs of recent years.

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