Friday night at the 2026 Portland Horror Film festival had another smaller block of short films. These shorts were the “midnighters.” They’re the weirder, funnier, and more disgusting shorts perfect for the late night festival crowd. Just like Short Films Block 2, this block only had four short horror films. Yet these were some of the most memorable entries in the festival. Some delivered guaranteed laughs while others no doubt had everyone in the audience squirming in revulsion. Love them or hate them, these are some wild stories audiences won’t soon forget.

MR. MITTENS – Written and Directed by Glenn Maxwell

When the loving family cat gets neutered, it sends him on a deadly path of revenge against all those who have wronged him. This is by far the most hilarious short horror film shown at this year’s PHFF. While the opening scene shows a real cat, after that it’s all shown as a stuffed animal. The poor cat gets put through the ringer, which makes its quest for vengeance that much more fun to watch. What really makes this short such a standout is how much Maxwell leaned into the absurdity. They don’t try to hide that Mr. Mittens is a stuffed animal. Instead, they tend to highlight this fact to add to the laughs. The visual style isn’t limited to the silly look of the cat. The short also has a certain level of saturation and graininess that makes it look and feel like a grindhouse film from the 70s. The entire short is a blast from start to finish, making Mr. Mittens a budding horror icon fans will root for. Overall Rating: 5/5

THE ALL-STAR MASSACRE – Written and Directed by Sam Gentile

A disgruntled young baseball player takes out his rage on a trio of unsuspecting softball players. This short horror film is a parody of classic 80s slasher films. It gives the audience a glimpse of the inciting incident before setting the killer loose on a group of young women. It even manages to fit in the stereotype of the slutty girl being killed first and a fun twist ending. Because it leans into the cheesiness of that era of filmmaking, there are times when the plot and actions carried out by the characters can seem a bit outrageous. Even the dialogue tend to be over the top, along with the exaggerated performances by the entire cast. Yet there’s no denying the fun and nostalgia wrapped in a quick, 11-minute tale. Not to mention, the kills are just the right kind of playful with ridiculous with entertaining practical effects. Overall Rating: 3/5

THE MAN MILKER – Written by Morgan Hendrickson, Directed by Matthew Rush

A man channel surfing realizes someone is after him, and his man milk. Now I won’t explain what “man milk” is, but I’m sure you all will get the gist. Typically when I watch short films, one of the things I look for is if it could be expanded into a feature-length film. This is one of the rare cases in which I believe the plot could only work as a short film, and that’s a good thing. The story starts out quite tense, but it very quickly turns into something more scandalous and even just plain disgusting. It works well within its short three minutes, but trying to expand the story into something longer would most likely take things too far and lead to something absolutely revolting. As it is, the short film has just the right amount of laughs and gross-out humor, thanks in large part to the goopy, vile practical effects. Overall Rating: 3.5/5

CHUM – Written by Nate Krieger, Directed by John Cicco

A group of young people spark the wrath of a killer lobster fisherman while vacationing on the coast of Maine. While an earlier short was a throwback to 80s slashers, Chum clearly takes inspiration from the slashers of the 90s, primarily I Know What You Did Last Summer. The young people did something seemingly innocuous, but they wronged the lobster fisherman, leading to his violent quest for revenge. It’s a familiar yet entertaining plot, able to tell a complete story in a very short amount of time. What really makes the short film a standout is the visuals. Not only are there a number of split diopter shots, which I’ve always been a fan of, but there are some really great throwback practical effects for the kills. While this short might not be reinventing the slasher wheel, there’s no denying the nostalgic fun to be had. Overall Rating: 3.5/5