Here are my thoughts on the films that played as part of the 2018 Toronto After Dark International Short Film Showcase.
Trespass
A police officer gets a little trigger happy on a call, but quickly finds out that his crime cannot be covered up that easily. Structured as a found footage film, recorded from the police officer’s body camera, Trespass is smart and creepy piece of POV horror.
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A Death Story Called GIRL
We follow the day in the life of a bloodthirsty young woman. If there is a word I have to describe A Death Story Called GIRL, it is weird. The film moves from upbeat to sinister on a dime and builds up to its bloody ending.
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Shift
In a post-apocalyptic world, aliens have taken over the world and a small group of cybernetically enhanced survivors set out to reclaim their planet. Shift is a quite well made Australian-produced science fiction short, co-staring actress Bianca Bradey (Wyrmwood). Obviously meant to set up a larger project down the road, Shift does a pretty good job at building up this new world.
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Preri Foon
The fragility of life is examined in a mysterious greenhouse. There isn’t all that much to grasp onto in Preri Foon, other than the final reveal that this film is taking place in a much bigger world than it initially appears.
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The World Over
A woman finds a key in her house, which unlocks a door to an alternate reality. While playing with the concept of parallel universes is nothing new, The World Over is quite well executed, with some interesting twists and turns.
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The Blue Door
A hospice nurse comes to care for a sick old woman and discovers a mysterious blue door, with something trying to come through. The Blue Door is a film with a relatively simple concept that builds up to its final reveal. I have nothing really more to say about this one.
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9 Steps
A father tries to convince his father that there is nothing to be scared of in a dark corridor. While it is easy to predict where the plot of 9 Steps is going to end up, the film is still a fairly effective little chiller.
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PvP
Two rivals play an incredibly competitive video game. PvP is a very glossy and entertaining short film that combines arcade video games with real martial arts fighting. This is definitely a fun one to watch.
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Los Gatos
An alley cat is taken in by an old man in a living situation too good to be true. Los Gatos is a very bleak animated tale that nearly had me in tears with its depictions of animal cruelty. While the film is apparently meant as a metaphor about finding comfort in abuse, this is not a short film I ever expect to watch again.
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