Short films are often used in horror to create intense and punchy scares. The brevity of the format allows for less bloat and a lot more focus on the important things like terrifying monsters and short and sharp jump scares.
There are hundreds of YouTube channels dedicated only to showcasing short-form horror. As bite-sized frights, short films are often used as proof of concept for stories, although not every short film is designed to become a longer format project. With that being said, horror has a long history of taking short-form features and bringing them to the big screen in a full-length format. Some of the genre’s most enduring films started as shorts.
Mama (2013) Based On Mama (2008)
Andy Muschietti is now best known for helming Stephen King adaptations of IT: Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 and also for the upcoming and controversial big screen outing of The Flash starring Ezra Miller. However, Muschietti first grabbed attention with his short film Mama in 2008.
The original short film had a simple concept. One girl sleeps peacefully, while her sister backs into the room and frantically tries to wake her up. Mama is home and they have to leave. The girls quickly dress and attempt to leave but Mama catches them and gives chase. Whatever Mama is, she isn’t friendly. The short is only three minutes long but was turned into a feature film in 2013. The film stars Jessica Chastain and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau who take in their two nieces after they were found abandoned in the woods. However, the girls didn’t come back alone and Mama isn’t far behind.
Saw (2004) Based On Saw 0.5 (2003)
The Saw franchise has become one of the most enduring and popular horror series of the modern day. Approaching the 20th anniversary of the feature films’ debut, many fans are unaware that the franchise began as a short proof of concept from writer Leigh Whannell and director James Wan.
Saw 0.5 is a 10-minute short where Whannell plays David, a hospital orderly who is recounting his experience surviving an encounter with Jigsaw. Covered in blood, David tells the detective about being abducted after his shift at work. The audience is shown his terrifying experience through flashbacks as he fights to free himself from the now-infamous reverse bear trap.
Lights Out (2016) Based On Lights Out (2013)
Since his breakout horror feature Lights Out in 2016, director David F. Sandberg has gone on to direct both Shazam! And its sequel Shazam! Fury of The Gods. However before Lights Out came out in 2016, Sandberg had made a wide range of short horror films, one of which was the original concept for Lights Out.
The original short film was three minutes long and showed a terrifying snapshot of a woman’s lonely night at home. Turning off the light, she sees a figure down the hall and flicks the light back on only to find no one is there. The figure appears and disappears with each flick of the switch. After taping the hallway light on, she dives into bed only for the light outside to turn off. The short ends as a terrifying creature reveals itself to be right next to her bed before turning out the light.
Smile (2022) Based On Laura Hasn’t Slept (2020)
Smile became an unexpected smash horror hit upon its release, riding on a wave of hype and being hailed as a terrifying experience. The film follows a therapist who witnesses a distraught patient commit suicide after telling her about the smiling creature plaguing her life. True to form, the therapist then begins to experience the same things.
The original short focused on Laura, a patient recounting her horrible nightmares to her psychiatrist. Laura has refused to sleep for several days, afraid to see the man that has been threatening to reveal his smile to her. As the short progresses it becomes unclear what is real and what is a dream as Laura battles her heightening madness.
The Evil Dead (1981) Based On Within The Woods (1978)
The long and beloved history of The Evil Dead franchise is still going strong, with the release of Evil Dead Rise which is currently doing big numbers at the box office. What many don’t realize is that the series began with a short film made by Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell, and Rob Tapert in 1978. The short featured Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Mary Valenti, and Scott Spiegel as a group of friends spending a weekend at a cabin in the woods.
During this stay, Campbell desecrates an Indian burial ground which results in his death and possession by angered spirits. Campbell then tears through his friends while intoning “Join us.” The short paved the way for what would become not only a labor of love for the cast and crew but one of the most consistently beloved franchises in the horror genre. It also gave birth to Final Boy Ash Williams, whose iconic line “Groovy” still appears in pop culture all across the board today.