For my final bit of coverage for the 2019 Portland Horror Film Festival I’m giving a rundown of all the short films! From terrifying to beautiful to hilarious, this year had a range of different shorts that covered virtually every subgenre of horror. Here are my thoughts on the short films from day 1 and 2:

2019 HORROR BUMPER

Made specifically for the festival by writer and director Tim Blough, this one minute horror short hilariously dives into all the different horror tropes. This contest winner kicked off the horror shorts and set the tone perfectly. It isn’t necessarily the most memorable short of the festival, but it works very well given the incredibly short runtime. OVERALL RATING: 3.5/5

BAD RESOLUTION

Not everyone likes celebrating the new year and coming up with resolutions. In Steven K Jackley’s 7 minute horror short, we follow Betty as she rings in the new year in her own special way. I loved this one because I could definitely relate to Betty on her darkly humorous journey. The short also had an almost dreamy look to it, adding some visual interest to the fun plot. OVERALL RATING: 4/5

@SELFJUNKIE

Ty Huffer’s 2 minute short horror film takes on something familiar to most people these days. With the popularity of social media and selfies, Ingrid is obsessed with staying connected. While alone late one night in her house, a dangerous encounter leads to some hilarious results that also deliver a bit of social commentary on today’s social media obsession. The short drives the point home in a delightful little package. OVERALL RATING: 4/5

THE MONSTER

In this fascinating horror short, writer and directer Neil Stevens introduces the audience to a young boy and his father. The boy is afraid of a monster he believes lurks in his room, while the father attempts to help the boy conquer his fears. This short is a combination of different horror subgenres that blend together seamlessly. With only 11 minutes to tell the story, The Monster packs quite a punch that will stick with you. OVERALL RATING: 4.5/5

CREAKER

Vidar T. Aune’s short hails all the way from Norway. A young girl awakes in the night to a creaking sound and knows she’s not alone. The short is very well shot and the end is shocking while also making me inappropriately laugh. Looking at it on it’s own, the film is clearly well made. I think it ultimately suffered by being shown after The Monster as both had a few very similar shots. OVERALL RATING: 3.5/5

BARREN

This is probably one of the most unique short films at the PHFF made by local Portland filmmakers. The stunning stop-motion short follows a woman desperate to have a child. She goes to great lengths only to have dire consequences. It relies on visuals to tell the story instead of dialogue. Between the sad story of the barren woman and the gorgeous stop-motion, this short film definitely stands out from the crowd. OVERALL RATING: 4.5/5

THE HIDEBEHIND

Parker Finn’s short horror film is the only one to genuinely send chills down my spine. A hiker is injured and lost deep in the woods. He comes across what he thinks is another person, but quickly realizes it is something terrifying. The film has a bit of humor and some great scares created by simple effects. This short creeped me out enough that I felt like someone was behind me on my entire drive home. OVERALL RATING: 4.5/5

TICK

I actually reviewed Tick through Nightmarish Conjurings for another film festival. You can read my full review of the short here.

FANATICO

Portland local students Hannah May Cumming and Sam Schrader made movie magic with their short. Inspired by Italian giallo films of the 70’s, the film follows a girl as she joins a Catholic school just as other students are being murdered. The film has the look and feel of an Argento film, but with a definite feminist twist. It is clear that these young filmmakers have a promising career ahead of them. OVERALL RATING: 4.5/5

ROAD TRASH

This short features Natasha Pascetta as the writer, director, and star with none other than Heather Langenkamp (A Nightmare on Elm Street) narrating. The darkly comedic horror short follows a young woman with an affinity for road kill. When she messes with the wrong corpse, she ends up being stalked by an evil creature. The concept is unique and the film takes some hilarious turns. Plus, it’s hard not to love a film with Langenkamp attached. OVERALL RATING: 4/5

3 DAYS

This short film by Julie Sharbutt is one that will definitely hit home with almost ever female viewer. While on a camping trip, three women hear something in the woods outside their tent and try to laugh off what could potentially be danger. What makes this short so effective is how it shows how difficult it is as a woman to feel like she can go camping or hiking alone without the threat of danger. Not only does the short convey that very well, but it also does it in a way that helps male viewers get a better understanding of what it is like for women. OVERALL RATING: 4.5/5

ESSERE AMATO

Writer and director Bas-Tzion Beahan creates a nightmarish black and white short film about love and abandonment. A young pregnant woman leaves her strict home to be with the one she loves. From there the film examines the sadness of being alone and feeling unloved. This one might not be the most memorable short of the festival, but it has quite a bit of depth and stunning imagery. OVERALL RATING: 3.5/5

SMILEY DEATH FACE

This short is another social commentary on the use of technology. The film follows a young woman alone at home when she begins to get increasingly menacing texts. It’s a clever short because it takes a concept horror fans are familiar with, but fits it in the modern world by having the texts be entirely with emojis. The only speaking roles are from a newscast on the tv, while everything else is the emoji texts superimposed in mid-air for the viewers to “read.” It’s incredibly clever and uses some great camera work. OVERALL RATING: 4/5

Z-GOAT: FIRST BLEAT

All the way from Belgium comes a post-apocalyptic horror short. The short follows a young woman as she hunts for food and resources, only to be stalked by something we’ve never seen before. The film is fun and exciting. It also has some creepy creature design to delight horror fans. OVERALL RATING: 3.5/5

THE ONLY THING I LOVE MORE THAN YOU IS RANCH DRESSING

This one minute short film by Sydney Clara Brafman definitely manages to bring the laughs considering how short it is. Everyone knows someone who puts ranch dressing on everything. This short shows a woman taking that love to a bizarre extreme. There isn’t necessarily a complete story here, but it still puts a memorable idea in the mind of viewers. OVERALL RATING: 3/5

HANA

One of the most compelling shorts at PHFF this year came from Korea. Written and directed by Mai Nakanishi, this disturbing short shows a young college student getting hired to be a nanny for a little girl named Hana. Once the two are left alone, frightening things begin to happen. The film is gorgeously shot and the story unfolds in a clever and chilling way. This is definitely one of the most memorable short horror films of the festival. OVERALL RATING: 5/5

CODA SACRA

Pol Barrós delivers a unique short film all the way from Spain. The black and white short shows a group of people as they dive into the water in order to hunt an unseen evil. The short effectively throws viewers in the midst of high tension and builds upon it. The cinematography is beautiful and the creature design is gorgeous. With no real dialogue the film relies heavily on the audience to pick up on visual queues in order to understand the plot. OVERAL RATING: 4/5

DEAD TEENAGER SEANCE

This Brazilian short film combines 80’s slasher with the supernatural in a hilarious way. A group of teens who have all been killed by a serial killer in a creepy mansion combine forces to perform a ritual and stop the madman once and for all. The filmmakers do a great job of presenting traditional horror tropes and then changing things up in fun and unexpected ways. The result is an entertaining and hilarious short film. OVERALL RATING: 3.5/5