Five new horror shorts offer a quick way to celebrate Halloween

Five horror short films released this year provide a compact alternative for viewers who lack the time for a full movie marathon before the October 31 holiday. Each film runs between seven and twelve minutes, allowing audiences to watch all five back-to-back in a single evening. The selection includes works from independent directors and established horror channels, focusing on specific scares, visual styles, and narrative twists.

The first film, Remain Calm, was directed by Jake Lewis. It stars Pauly Shore and Nick Swardson as convenience store clerks working a night shift. Doug Jones plays a federal agent who informs them that a monster has escaped from a nearby laboratory. The creature can only be defeated if the victims appear happy and contented. The film gained recent attention on YouTube due to Shore's appearance and features detailed monster design work.

The Suitcase, directed by Ben Guan, follows a man named Elias Guzman who brings an abandoned suitcase into his home. The film relies on a premise involving a cursed object, which the director notes is a common trope in the genre. Cinematographer Ronald McBean used unusual camera angles and perspectives to create a haunting visual style. The short concludes with a specific final image that the director intended to leave a lasting impression on viewers.

Butterscotch, directed by Alexander Deeds, was produced by the Final Girl channel. Reid McConville plays a young man who taunts a catatonic older man, Chad Sommer, and steals his candy. The old man retaliates with violence while a custodian sweeps the floor nearby, listening to music on earbuds. The short runs seven minutes and uses the custodian's presence to highlight how often abuse occurs in plain sight without immediate consequence.

Skin, directed by Urvashi Pathania, was produced by the Alter Network. Shreya Navile plays a young woman who visits a skin-bleaching spa despite her sister, Sureni Weerasekera, who is an influencer, expressing concern. The spa is depicted as a sleek, modern operation that promises to help women achieve desired skin tones. The film uses body horror to explore themes of colorism and the commercialization of beauty standards.

Ferry, directed by Bishrel Mashbat, was an official selection for the Houston Horror Film Fest. Lawson Greyson stars as a rideshare driver on her first night of work. She picks up an eerie passenger, William Sibley, who sits in the backseat. The film begins with traditional horror elements, including a jump scare, but shifts toward a sad and existential tone as the drive continues through dark roads.

The five films are available for viewing online. Viewers can watch all five shorts in under an hour, which allows them to complete the viewing experience before the Halloween holiday begins. The films vary in tone, ranging from comedic scares to visual horror and existential drama.