5 New Horror Shorts to Watch for Halloween

Halloween is just days away, which means if you haven’t started that horror movie watchfest you planned for the month you probably are not going to catch up. That’s okay, because you can speed run the spookiness thanks to the Houston Press. Here are five great horror shorts released this year you can pack into one frightful Saturday night!

Remain Calm (Director Jake Lewis)

This horror short from the Lewis Brothers has been blowing up on YouTube this month partially thanks to the appearance of Pauly Shore, but it’s a heck of great scare-fest even without the 1990s nostalgia fix. Two convenience store clerks (Shore and Nick Swardson) are working the night shift at a remote stop and shop when an eerie federal agent (Doug Jones) tells them a monster has escaped from a nearby lab. The only defense against it is to look happy and contented, maybe the biggest ask in the universe for these terrible times. The short has an incredible monster design as well as stellar performances by all involved.

The Suitcase (Director Ben Guan)

The Suitcase is a deeply scary, if fairly predictable horror short that is elevated by some incredible cinematography. A man (Elias Guzman) finds an abandoned suitcase outside his home and brings it inside to investigate. Nightmarish terrors ensue. The premise is nothing special and it’s always annoying when cursed objects seem to have no rules dictating their power. However, some of these shots that Guan and DP Ronald McBean use are breathtaking. Between strange perspectives and that hauntingly eerie final image The Suitcase stands out. Watch it for the beauty of the atrocity.

Butterscotch (Director Alexander Deeds)

One of the best parts of horror is watching a bully get eaten by a monster, and these days it’s a particularly satisfying form of entertainment. In this short from the Final Girl channel (well worth the subscribe for creator-led horror content), an irritating pissant (Reid McConville) taunts a catatonic old man (Chad Sommer) and steals his hard candy. The old man . . . let’s say, retaliates.

The best part of the short is that the violence literally happens while a custodian is in the room sweeping and listening to music on earbuds. It adds a nice touch, exploring how often abuse occurs right under people’s noses without consequence. That’s a lot of social commentary to pack into just seven minutes.

Skin (Director Urvashi Pathania)

Skin is a devastating and gruesome short that explores colorism and the commodification of beauty in a white knuckle body horror ride. A young woman (Shreya Navile) decides to visit a skin-bleaching spa over the protests of her influencer sister (Sureni Weerasekera). What’s inside is a sleek and modern operation guaranteed to help women achieve the skin tone or texture they have always wanted.

It all goes as badly as it can, but the real unease is just how pleasant and banal the whole setup is. It’s not hard to imagine war crime-level procedures happening behind the tasteful wooden doors of your local beauty guru. Another dazzling short from the always-excellent Alter Network.

Ferry (Director Bishrel Mashbat)

Just because something is scary doesn’t mean it can’t also be heartwarming or poignant. After all, people are terrified of all kinds of beautiful things like weddings and children growing up. Director Bishrel Mashbat turns in an astounding subversion of the creepy hitchhiker trope that completely reverses the idea of horror in a rideshare. Lawson Greyson stars as a driver on her first night with an eerie man (William Sibley) in her backseat. There are some good creepy moments and one great jump scare, but the horror turns sad and existential as she navigates through the dark roads.

Ferry was an official selection for the Houston Horror Film Fest and it’s easy to see why. Halloween may be about the ghosts and goblins, but it never hurts to end the night on something a bit more meaningful. Ferry is the best proof in years that short horror doesn’t have to be AI-slop monsters to deeply affect its viewers.