We wanted to do a 10 Scariest Short Film on Youtube list for you. I’m a big fan of little horror, but short Horror films on Youtube are numerous. Many are simply terrible. From bad acting to not scary, a lot of short horror films simply do not fill the mold, so I’ve watched many many hours of amateur horror to find the gems that are below.
These horror films are both the scariest and most well-crafted. I was looking at different aspects of these horror to classify these movies by. I’ll start by saying that all of these films are well made, well-acted, well-conceived. So I’m going to list them, talk about them, and then point out the one thing they do better than all the rest. These are not in any order. These are the number 1 slot for each of the following techniques. Yes, I know this isn’t perfect. I’m picking things you do in writing or as an author and applying them to films, so this is an imperfect process. Please forgive me, but I hope you enjoy the 10 Short Horror Films on Youtube with the best Writing.
Lights Out
(Best Concept)
Lights Out is David Sandberg’s short film that earned him much notoriety and many more jobs after its appearance in 2013. Sanberg is now slated to direct the next movie from the DC Universe, Shazam. It should be interesting.
Lights Out is 2 minutes and 42 seconds of building tension. The movie really earned a lot of respect for all short horror films on the web. It made it’s rounds on Facebook and twitter. It’s a simple film with a twist plotline, and you will enjoy it.
As an all around concept, it is unsurpassed in short horror films.
Selfie from Hell
I love horror movies that come into our real life. Selfie takes a very popular normal everyday action, taking selfie, and makes it scary. It also feels a little like revenge when it comes to how much some of us have come to loath the selfie, selfie stick, selfie on a rock, in the bathroom, on a hill with a baby….anyway it some ways this film is very……cathartic. And it makes something very normal scary…..
Bedfellows
Even though Bedfellows is listed at 2 mins and 46 seconds, the actual movie runs about a minute. The rest of the clip is intro and credits. This movie has you yelling at the screen “don’t do it, don’t do it, no no no!” It’s a lot of fun for just about a minute and it’s scary.
Bedtime
The twist in the micro-fiction is well captured on screen in Bedtime. The story comes from a 2 sentence story posted on reddit (I believe). I am having finding the original story and the author, and both deserve a mention. If you know the, please post them in the comments. This short movie is chilling.
2 AM
2 AM is an adaptation of The Smiling Man, a story that showed up on internet forums in the early 21st century. The story is of something inhuman that taunts a man walking late at night. The film is very well done, and it matches the story closely. The legend of The Smiling Man or Grinning man is a very old and very creepy myth, watch the movie and look up the story.
Alexia
Alexia is a creepy idea, and it is, for a short film, a slow burn. The story draws you in enough to care a little bit about the characters, and it waits for the pay off. It has multiple creepy and scary moments.
Mama
There is a tension and mood that is created in this film that is so powerful it even got Guillermo del Toro. He later agreed to do a project with these fledgling film makers. The film is scary. It has small children in it, and an overwhelming urge to run.
Don’t Move
Short films are not usually noted for their gore. The length of these films tend to make the presentation of gore almost cartoony or unnecessary, but Don’t Move tells a complete story, and the gore adds to the scariness of the film. A lot of big budget horror films can’t say that about their use of gore.
Vicious
Vicious is only 12:31 long, but it feels like a full 2 hour film. The plot of this story rises, falls, rises and falls building tension the entire time until the climax. It is very well done. The character is fleshed out in just a few minutes, and a couple of the optical illusions are visceral. Anyone who has stared into the darkness thinking they have seen something moving, or standing there you will know the feelings this movie gives you. I’ve been watching horror films my entire life, and I have to say Vicious is truly scary.
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I love your writing style truly enjoying this website.
This is an excellent list!! I would add “Ten Steps” to the end because it fits well with the rest of these features!