Nothing like a good horror film to get the blood pumping. And while feature length scares have their own place, it’s a whole other ballgame to make an audience jump within a matter of minutes. Hence our collective love for horror short films.
And since there can literally never be enough horror shorts in the world, here are 16 of the most spine-chilling of 2016 and 2017’s short films. Make sure you’re not alone at home before you start watching these.
1. The Moonlight Man
A dark and deserted parking lot may already be a pretty scary place for a young woman to be, but The Moonlight Man takes the fright to a whole other level.
2. Mr. Creak
Ever found creepy little haikus lying around that dark basement of yours? I sure hope not. Those little pieces of paper are signs of impending doom.
3. Speechless
Imagine passing notes with a sinister figure from under a door – the only thing you know is keeping you safe. Speechless is the story of one such conversation between a boy and… the unknown.
4. The Cop Cam
Shot in found-footage style, The Cop Cam is a paralysingly scary glimpse into a police raid gone horribly wrong.
5. Unknown Number
When an unknown number calls your phone. Late at night. Again and again. And again. Watch your back.
6. The Whisperer
We’ve all heard a little inexplicable noise, or seen a strange shadow in the dark and dismissed it as the mind playing tricks on itself. Sanity prevailed. But what if one day it didn’t?
7. Clickbait
Another reason to never trust clickbait-y articles doing the rounds on the interwebs. Click on it, and you shall be punished. Not just with malware on your computer, but this time, in your room.
8. Good Night
This story of a motherless little boy and his helpless widowed father takes a turn for the dark and unsettling. If you like a bedtime story before a peaceful night’s sleep, this may not be the best choice.
9. Vicious
A young girl’s disturbing past follows her around her own home in this petrifying short. Every fearful move she makes only brings her closer to her terrible fate.
10. The Night Shift
Strange things happen during the late hours of the night. You never know who might walk in or what they might walk in on.
11. Closet Space
What if a closet in your new home opened the door to an unbelievable secret? And what if that secret turned on you in a matter of minutes?
12. The Whistle
The next time you’re walking home alone at night, you better pray you don’t hear that shudder-inducing whistle. ‘Cause sometimes when darkness comes knocking, fear answers the door.
13. Loop
A metaphorical and deeply unsettling film, Loop represents the winding, bewildering and inexpressibly daunting journey of an artist through her own mind, and it’ll creep you the fuck out.
14. Up Route
A man picks up an overly friendly hitchhiker and let it suffice to say that the graphic horror of Up Route will send chills down your spine.
15. The Last Laugh
A forgotten comic star returns decades later, to her co-star and ex-husband’s bitter mind. A dark memory, and an even darker fate awaited him.
16. I Hate Mondays
What starts as a stress-induced office crime, soon unfolds to reveal a fucked up truth about the company. I promise you, this one you won’t see coming.
Horror-lovers, thank me later. And the easily-spooked, good luck getting any sleep tonight. *menacing laugh*