The best horror shorts (films under 30 minutes) are often just as effective and impactful as full length features. They can also make for a great break from reality, a moment of escapism when you don’t have a lot of time to spare—like at work or between classes. And there’s one area where horror shorts are far superior to their 3-Act counterparts: They almost always leave you wanting more!
Since I’m plugged into some heavily trafficked channels of the horror community, I see a lot of horror shorts, literally dozens a week. And while most are really good, others are nothing less than outstanding. I’ll sift through the multitudes in an effort to deliver the most amazing shorts the internet has to offer—like a bit of horror freebase for your brain!
This week’s “Quick Fix” is Gotcher, written and directed by short-horror auteur Bruce Branit (whose previous effort, World Builder, is also worth seeking out). The titular Gotcher could be the next great horror icon based on childhood phobias (like the Tooth Fairy from Darkness Falls, or Chucky from Child’s Play). The set-up, a support group of adults discussing shared childhood traumas, turns out to have an extremely chilling reveal—imagery I guarantee will stick with you!
Yes, the premise is utterly ridiculous, but that just makes the genuine dread Gotcher elicits all the more impressive. Fans of TV horror serials like The Twilight Zone, Tales from the Crypt, and Tales from the Darkside will love it.
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Got a suggestion for a future Quick Fix? Let me know! joshua.millican@yahoo.com
Josh Millican is a writer and co-owner at The Blood-Shed and contributes at Tom Holland’s Terror Time, Dread Central, Top 10 Films, Scream Sirens, The Slaughtered Bird, and Horror Fix. Follow him on Twitter @josh_millican or contact him at Joshua.millican@yahoo.com.
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