Almost every writer—myself included—has at one point said, “It’d make a better short.” Seconds after the familiar phrase is uttered however, I often find myself wondering if, in fact, the hypothetical “it” were a short, would I have ever seen it? While short films can often be a wholly striking introduction to new talent, and lovely asides from masters, they don’t typically have the widest audience. So, having been exposed to a number really great works in recent weeks, here’s a roundup of some wonderful horror shorts, and where you may be able to see them if you’re on the lookout.

New York City’s Museum of Art and Design, a place in the midst of crafting a really fun cinema program, is playing host to Daggers: The Festival of Short Horror Films. Amidst more widely received bangers like Jason Eisener’s (HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN) TREEVENGE, and the recent festival hit, THE LEGEND OF BEAVER DAM, the lineup is incredible; a rarity I’ve come to find in shorts programs. Here are four gems within:

THE ROOM AT THE TOP OF THE STAIRS, dir. Briony Kidd

My favorite of the bunch, THE ROOM AT THE TOP OF THE STAIRS hails from Australia, and in a swift fifteen minutes, director Briony Kidd tells a haunting, poetic tale of a lonely young girl and her first residence at art school. An immediate outsider amongst new roommates, the girl comes to find solace in her room’s previous occupant whose infamous reputation figuratively and possibly, literally, haunts the place. Kidd’s style is assured and beautiful, and while the film avoids any overly horrific payoff, it absolutely sticks in your bones. You can keep up with the film at its official site. 

(BABY) IT’S YOU, dir. David Cowles, Jeremy Galante, and Brad Pattullo

One of two animated works included (the other being an imaginative and psychedelic silent film-styled retelling of H.P. Lovecraft’s THE OTHER GODS), this short, sweet and incredibly fun love story between a mad scientist and his reanimated robot bride is a great bit of levity, and one that keeps a devious smile attuned to your face the whole time.

NEXT FLOOR, dir. Denis Villenueve

Hilarious, and at the same time gravely serious, Villenueve’s excellent short satirizes the disgusting gluttony and descending morality of those on top, amidst serious production value and the ever-continuous relationship between horror and food.

LUMP, dir. Faye Jackson

While Jackson’s recent full-length, STRIGOI, really underwhelmed, LUMP is masterfully creepy burst of body horror and medical distrust.

You can catch Daggers tomorrow, October 22 at the Museum of Art and Design at 3 p.m., for $10. You really, really should.

Also currently underway on the left coast is Screamfest L.A., one of the country’s top all-horror fests, and tonight sees its own shorts program. While I can’t speak to it as a whole, two of its inclusions are probably worth the ticket alone.

ALL MEN ARE CALLED ROBERT, dir. Marc-Henri Boulier

Preceding YOU’RE NEXT at Fantastic Fest last month, only a short this genius could be just as memorable as the excellent and crowd-pleasing feature it was paired with. The film sees a naked man being intensely pursued through a forest and aside from strong visuals, the payoff just rules. Don’t miss it.

INFECTED, dir. Jason Miller

Coming from the Ariescope family, this short directed by Miller (second unit director on HATCHET II, and producer on FROZEN, HATCHET II and CHILLERAMA) boasts some seriously cool monster suit action and FX, neato cameos and a successful, if familiar, twist; all in about four minutes.

Get tickets for the Screamfest shorts, tonight at 8 p.m., right here.

This next film played Fantastic Fest last month, and while it doesn’t seem to have any upcoming play dates, should hit pretty hard, pretty soon.

COST OF LIVING, dir. BenDavid Grabinski

Starring Brandon Routh (SUPERMAN RETURNS) and Bret Harrison as Silas and Jerry, COST OF LIVING pits the two employees of an unnamed corporation against an unnamed threat in “the tunnels.” COST is brisk, full of slimy monster action and killer delivery, and best of all, feels really big.

Also, available to watch online right now is Spike Jonze’s brand new stop motion short, MOURIR AUPRES DE TOI (TO DIE BY YOUR SIDE). Like the aforementioned (BABY) IT’S YOU, the piece is sweet, and visually enchanting, telling of a skeleton who hops off the cover of MACBETH in the famous Parisian bookstore, Shakespeare and Co, to win over his love. Click through the image below to check it out, and hopefully you’ll get a chance to see all of these sometime soon. 

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