[Editorial] Best Horror Films To Watch On YouTube

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Written By Lucy Buglass / Contributor

Horror films come in all shapes and sizes, whether it’s a slow burn, a fast paced thriller, or a complete gore fest. But sometimes the best things come in small packages and that’s certainly the case with short horror films.

It can be a challenging format as you only have a few minutes to build tension or shock your audience, but there’s some brilliant offerings out there. They’re easy to access too, because all of the ones on this list are available for free on YouTube.

Each of these short films are 30 minutes or under, and some manage to deliver some serious scares in just a couple of minutes! There’s a mix of paranormal, sci-fi, slasher and more, so hopefully there’ll be something for everyone to enjoy. Grab your popcorn, open up your laptop, and prepare to sleep with the lights on tonight.

Bedfellows

Directed by: Drew Daywalt / Runtime: 2 mins 45 seconds

DIRECTED BY DREW DAYWALTHorror always follows the phone that rings in the middle of the night... FEWDIOWe Create Nightmares

For many of us, curling up into bed after a long day is a safe place where we can drift off to sleep. But what if it wasn’t safe at all? Drew Daywalt explores this concept in Bedfellows, an impressive short film that has amassed over 3 million views. Rachel (Kerry Finlayson) is woken up by a phone call as she sleeps beside her husband Daniel (Edin Gali) one night, and is horrified to discover that Daniel is on the other end of the phone. So who’s that lying beside her?


Blinky™

Directed by: Ruairi Robinson / Runtime: 12 minutes 50 seconds

Soon every home will have a robot helper. Don't worry. It's perfectly safe.Written & Directed by Ruairi RobinsonStarring Max Records from "Where The Wild Thi...

Blinky™ is a must watch for sci-fi fans, as it follows lovable helper robot Blinky who is brought into the Neville family’s home at the request of son Alex (Max Records). He hopes the new robot friend will stop his parents from arguing, as wholesome adverts on TV show happy families living in harmony with their robot helper. But when nothing changes, Alex begins to berate Blinky until he malfunctions and descends into malicious compliance at the hands of his new master.


Fragile.com

Directed by: Alison-Eve Hammersley / Runtime: 21 minutes 35 seconds

A teenage girl who more than anything wants to be told she's special is approached by a charming man who promises her fame, fortune, and affection-if she agr...

Perfect for those looking for a longer, slower horror, Fragile.com explores the terrifying world of online predators and how they can take over someone’s life. Mara (Carly Stewart) is a teenage girl who craves acceptance and to be told she’s special, and one day a charming man approaches her promising fame, fortune, and affection if she agrees to livestream herself crying to clients for his niche website. It seems simple enough at first, if a little strange, but it rapidly spirals into something deeply sinister. 


Make Me a Sandwich

Directed by: Denman Hatch / Runtime: 3 minutes

How many sandwiches will Marcy make before going crazy?'Make Me a Sandwich' is a [short] short film that dives into the mind of an abused spouse in an unbear...

Marcy (Anne Shepherd) is trapped in an abusive marriage where her husband Johnson (Peter Hodgins) demands she makes him a sandwich over and over again. This brief, yet effective short explores the horrors of domestic abuse, and has some particularly nasty visuals that will definitely put you off your sandwich in real life!


Okay Google

Directed by: Levi Morgan / Runtime: 4 minutes 40 seconds

Okay Google - Horror short filmHelp me make bigger and better films by supporting my patreon! https://www.patreon.com/levimorganfilmsGear used:Black magic c...

With so many of us relying on tech daily, it makes sense that filmmakers are using this as a backdrop for some seriously scary stories. When a man’s Google Home turns a light on upstairs, and he sees someone up there, it’s unsurprising that he freaks out. But then things start getting even weirder as the smart device seems to have a mind of its own…



Hungry Joe

Directed by: Paul Holbrook / Runtime: 22 minutes 19 seconds

Subscribe to ALTER on YouTube: https://goo.gl/LnXRC3A single mother struggles to bond with her apathetic child; born with an insatiable and increasingly inhu...

In Hungry Joe, Laura (Laura Bayston) struggles with her sanity as she tries to satisfy her son’s inhuman hunger. Doctors and those around her dismiss Joe’s hunger as him simply being “a growing boy”, but she’s convinced it’s something a lot more sinister. This short expertly uses motherhood as a terrifying trope, and explores what happens when we’re unable to bond with or understand our child. 


Box Fort

Directed by: Tyler Czajkowski / Runtime: 15 minutes

Based on the Creepypasta and r/NoSleep short story written by Mallory Eddy. One weekend while their parents are away, three sisters decide to build a box for...

If you haven’t been on Creepypasta and r/NoSleep, where have you been?! This horror short is based on a story from those forums, and is sure to change the way you think about harmless forts. In this creepy short, three sisters decide to build a box fort but when strange things start to happen around them, they wonder if someone or something is living inside of it.


The Stylist

Directed by: Jill Gevargizian / Runtime: 14 minutes 57 seconds

Donate to our feature-film Kickstarter:https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thestylist/the-stylist-a-horror-feature-filmThe multi award-winning short film, s...

Now available as a feature length film, The Stylist follows lonely hairstylist Claire as she becomes obsessed with the lives of the clients who walk into her salon. It’s stylish, sleek and very gory, and a must watch for those who enjoy seeing things from the killer’s point of view. If you enjoyed the short, then the feature film comes highly recommended as there’s even more gory goodness from the mind of Jill Gevargizian.


The Pretty Thing

Directed by: Dylan Clark / Runtime: 4 minutes 28 seconds

The back door in a girl's room won't lock at night.Contact Email: mccormick.clark@gmail.com

Another example of how effective horror can be in just a few minutes is The Pretty Thing. Using moments of silence for suspense, this short follows a woman at night, who realises that her door won’t lock. It’s a low budget student film but packs an almighty punch that will leave you sleeping with the lights on.


Face Your Fears

Directed by: Neil Stevens / Runtime: 15:40

A young woman terrified of the dark takes on a pet sitting job and discovers a supernatural game that will cure her fears, if she faces them first.https://le...

We all have fears, and most of us will do everything in our power to avoid them. But in this 15 minute short, a young woman terrified of the dark takes on a pet sitting job and discovers a supernatural game that will cure her fears, but only if she faces them first. With plenty of suspense and gory imagery, some fans have even cited it as the horror edition of Jumanji!

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