Isolation, forced or voluntary, can mess with a person’s mind in more ways than one. Alone with our thoughts is when we can be at our most vulnerable, and that is what Luke Creely explores with his chilling horror short, The Farmhouse.
Set in a rural backwoods cabin, Kylie’s (Nicole Pastor) evening recalling fond memories with her boyfriend Dave (Jacob Saunders) comes to an abrupt halt when something sinister begins taking over the household. The Farmhouse gets straight to business, establishing the dreary corridors of Kylie’s home. Illuminated by moonlight, she goes through the motions of her evening routine, but nothing about what she is doing feels right. Every room is steeped in an eerie atmosphere, and before long, she begins to take notice of knocks at her window.
The story leverages something few horror movies actively consider: the concept of empty space. Like Leigh Whannell did in his hugely successful iteration of The Invisible Man, the short allows the environment around Kylie to become an integral part of the storytelling. Director of Photography Scott David Lister really picks his shots here. Shadows creep along the walls, and shots hold for a little longer than they should. It causes the eye to wander, all while the sensation of something lurking in the darkness intensifies.
It’s a shame, then, that Creely’s vision takes such an oddly unfitting 180-turn during the final stretch. Coming across as more of a proof of concept, the short’s final moments are hindered by effects that seemingly exceed The Farmhouse’s admittedly impressive technical grasp.
Yet there is an intriguing mystery, subtlety hidden for viewers to decipher. And if anything, that at least keeps the film engaging. It leaves questions about Kylie, Dave, and whatever or whoever is trying to pursue the poor woman. That, coupled with a steady dose of tension-driven filmmaking, makes this a good watch for horror lovers.
