To avoid fainting from reality-warping bugs, sinister siblings and rampant culinary corruption, keep repeating: “It’s only deadCenter’s Midnight Shorts.”
Stay strong, because you won’t want to miss any of these hair-raising short films.
Peter Sluszka’s Hardboiled is a high-octane — and high-calorie — stop-motion masterpiece 10 years in the making. Harry (Edd Hall), a literally hardboiled cop, struggles to stop a string of egg murders. His partner, Callaham (Joey Wells), is a loose-cannon porkchop who loves beating up bacon and being beaten by rotisserie chickens. Hardboiled’s world is raunchy, immersive and fascinating. Clever puns, a legitimately compelling mystery and unfiltered machismo marinate every inch of this instant Midnight Shorts classic.
What’s worse than working a dead-end job? Doing it at the will of a face-sucking horseshoe crab. Fidel Ruiz-Healy and Tyler Walker’s Dead Enders is a fun and light-hearted story about two gas station attendants at the epicenter of a bug-pocolypse. The short’s humor and style would fit snuggly in something like 2019’s Creepshow reboot. Skarlett Redd’s lead performance is especially noteworthy.
No, David Lowery isn’t the only director who can make a heartfelt drama about ghosts bound to a house. Bryce McGuire’s Every House Is Haunted isn’t very scary, but it is genuinely moving. Friendly spirits quickly become a normal part of Maya’s (Kate Cobb) life after she moves into her new home. The ghosts’ design ranges from seemingly unchanged to literally on fire. While chilling, their presentation is also somber and reflective. It’s also jarring when you least expect it — maybe more so than any other of the block’s entries.
Here’s a tip: If the government erects a massive wall around your city, it’s probably not for fun. Aljosha Kilmov and Matthew Lyon’s No.8 Reporting follows an up-and-coming journalist (Teddy Moynihan) and a team of reporters as they attempt to uncover the mystery behind their metropolitan comfort. The short relies on rotoscoped animation (similar to A Scanner Darkly), which goes far to warp reality and carry the intrigue. However, its big reveal — while poetic — doesn’t quite pack the punch the story was building toward.
Fernando Cámara’s Suspen@ is like a Matryoshka doll of nightmares. On the verge of failing her class, Nora (Álex Viciano) needs to consult her instructor. But that’s not as easy as it sounds. Maya quickly steps into a psychoanalytical hellscape that would make anyone change majors. The film is stylistic and mesmerizing, though its plot isn’t the most cohesive. Ultimately, its 14-minute length feels overly constrictive. Suspen@’s concept is more than big enough to fill feature-length shoes.
Twins, amirite? Though calling the leading sisters (Sabina and Annabel Meschke) of Sandy Honig’s Pennies from Heaven just “twins” is underselling it — they’re bonafide chaos demons. After the two find a pickup truck full of at least $5 worth of pennies, the pair find love, heartbreak and purpose. But mostly they just fuck with everyone around them. Still, there’s a lot to love in this inconsequential romp, and the Meschkes’ energy will hopefully land them roles in other absurdly comedic projects soon.
Joshua Amar’s Anaconda slithers in as Midnight Shorts’ most terrifying piece. A bored and horny college student’s (Sam Marra) online chat session turns sinister when a mysterious stranger asks to record him. When paranoia strikes, the film illustrates multiple worst-case scenarios into a brilliant and haunting experience. Good luck with any upcoming Zoom meetings you’ve got after checking this one out. And remember: Everyone is watching you.
Find more deadCenter 2023 coverage at The Cinematropolis.
