Junkyard Demento

I'm sure Marvel's What If has had an issue where Peter Parker journey into Spider-Man, goes more the horror path, ending up closer to Cronenberg's THE FLY. Starring Chandler Riggs of THE WALKING DEAD fame, Andy Chen's short film about everyone's favorite web-slinger is exactly that, where poor Peter doesn't get cool superpowers, but rather turns into a spider monster.

A solid cast can really do wonders for a short film. That's not to say Andy Chen's THE GATEWAY DRUG is bad, but being able to assemble a quality cast to bring life to your characters, really helps elevate the project as a whole. Along with the cast, the budget is certainly on screen, as the production here feels like a horror film you might stumble upon a streaming platform, more than a standard short film. One can easily see Chen adapting a feature script for this story.

Trying to cover a serial killer for a podcast sounds like a good way to get clicks. Things can go sideways quick, however, when the killer shows up and shows off his supernatural powers, which pretty much means gruesome deaths.

He's back and we're all invited to go back to the Backrooms. You might even run into that giant pirate! Thank you Kane!

Mix some TEEN WOLF and GINGER SNAPS and you might end up getting this beast of a short, focusing on a young female grappler who has the unfortunate luck of unleashing her other side in the middle of a match. At least she didn't have to ask for a keg of beer!

Certainly, some creepy pasta level storytelling here. Somewhere in the analog horror realm, past the backrooms and lost broadcasts, you'll find this deliciously strange film. Right off the bat, the title grabs your attention, but once you watch the off putting animation and creepy tone, you know that you're in for a psychological trip!

Beware the paint! That's the warning around cursed paint cans in this horror short that cleverly uses the framework of a true crime YouTube series to tell its story. While the scares are lacking, the weird/uneasy vibe is enough to keep the viewers intrigued.

Shifting the gears from horror, thriller, and monsters, to a mini documentary about everyone's favorite topic: UFOs. The truth is most certainly out there for these UFO chasers out in Wales, where they host their own podcast covering sightings and encounters.

Talk about a mind trip. This is better to be experienced than explained. Dystopian beauty funneled through chaos is what filmmaker Kajika Aki Ferrazzini has created with this animated story that stays with you long after you click away.

Zombies? Close enough. Everyone seems to have their own plan of what to do when the zombie apocalypse hits. Here we meet a nurse, tired from a long shift who happens upon what she believes to be her own night of the living dead situation.

Gothic story: check. Creepy kid: check. Supernatural terror: check. If these things were on your horror bingo card, well then you have a winner winner, chicken dinner, with this short film. Filmmaker Cameron Gallagher does a solid job delivering a spooky story in just 15 minutes. Perfect treat for those looking for something to enjoy during their Summerween.

There's always something very bad lurking in the woods. This time it's up to a forest ranger to put the pieces together of what has been killing people around town. Spoiler Alert: it's a monster!

Because sometimes, there is a monster in the closet. Starring everyone's favorite nerd actor, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, here he plays a locksmith tasked with making sure that a closet door stays shut. Unfortunately, the monster living inside has other plans. Filmmaker Kai Hasson does an amazing job with the production quality and shot selection, that produces a fun horror comedy.

Everyone is obsessed with OBSESSION, the breakout horror hit of the summer. If you want to see the horror short film Curry Barker made before breaking out with that blockbuster hit, here's your chance. Starring, directed by, written by, done everything by Barker, he plays a young man who receives a mysterious note on his car.

AI kills. Well, we haven't yet reached that point, but all signs are pointing to AI being the doom for humans. Stephen Packer plays with the controversial topic of AI and splashes some Michael Myers on it, giving us a dark horror comedy. Actually, swap out Michael Myers for a gimp, and you get the slashers in this film.

What the film lacks in frights and true scares, it makes up for with a dark atmosphere. The interactions between characters is very tense and filled with uneasy, causing one to anticipate that they might do something rash at any moment. The family trauma themes are present throughout leading to a final scene filled with allegory.

With the mega success of OBSESSION and BACKROOMS from YouTube creators, studios and production companies are hungry for the next big thing. Today comes the news of Steven Spielberg getting into the mix, producing the feature adaptation of Alex Kister's analog horror. Here's the first installment of the YouTube series to get you started in anticipation.