Why Watch? While setting up their tent, a young man tells his friend Lisa that he loves her and wants to be something more. Big mistake. She storms off, leaving him to angrily carve her name in a log, but it’s not long before he hears her scream, runs to find her and finds himself dragged off by something that knows how to set a bear trap and owns way too many red candles.
Effective quick-cut editing and aggressive camera choices are front and center in creating an intense horror experience here (although an excellent shot of a fingernail being slowly pulled off doesn’t hurt either). Plus, the villain is crafted well – think Buffalo Bill by way of coked-out glam rocker – and anchors an atmosphere that drops worms into your bloodstream.
The score is a bit much, and the subtitles seem slightly off (there isn’t that much talking), but it’s a capable horror short with energy and a few surprises hiding up the sleeve of its knit sweater.
What will it cost you? Only 17 minutes.