A creepy house, four friends, and a deadly game of the supernatural variety. Yes, this might sound like the setup for a cheesy and by-the-numbers horror flick, but Don’t Look, from director Danny Murphy and screenwriter Jovita Bodamer-Mac Gregor, is anything but. Selected for Fantaspoa, Frightfest, and Shockfest, here is a short worth seeking out if you’re craving some no-frills, all-thrills horror.
Thomas (Olly Rhodes), Harris (Danny Murphy), Rowan (Valor Grey), and Abbie (Morgan Colquhoun) arrive at a supposedly abandoned residence in the dead of night. Flashlight in hand, they break into the property, eager to explore. They soon realize they are not alone and are confronted by a mysterious man (Liam Robertson) wearing shades – who seems none to pleased about the group being there. To avoid being trespassed, the four agree to a game hosted by the man. The rules are simple: they must hold hands, wait for an entity to arrive, and no matter what happens, they are not to open their eyes until dawn. The youngsters are skeptical, and all seems playful until three loud knocks echo through the building and the man urges the group to avert their gaze.
A key part of the narrative is its inclusion of Harris’ deaf character. We’ve seen it done a handful of times before, perhaps most notably in Mike Flanagan’s sleeper hit Hush, and actor/director Danny Murphy (who has hearing loss in real life) integrates it brilliantly into his work. The short does well to match Harris’ perspective throughout in numerous creative ways, from sign language to the audio cutting to near-silence whenever he’s in focus—it’s a terrific element of the storytelling and becomes more and more naturally integrated as the night goes on. Murphy himself is fantastic and definitely a talent to keep an eye on in the future, on either side of the camera.
Now, let’s address the actual terror at hand by asking the question: Is Don’t Look a frightening movie? The answer is a resounding yes. In a classical sense, it evokes the best elements of old haunted house tales and, in terms of the scares, will definitely give horror junkies a few good jolts. Yes, there are jump scares (fueled by some effective use of VFX and practical wizardry), but they operate on a very well-timed level. Raising the emotional stakes is a really well-written screenplay by Jovita Bodamer-Mac Gregor, proving that where there’s a will, there’s a way to make audiences care about four young misfits in under fifteen minutes. You also might find yourself looking into some Gaelic folklore after watching the film, which is a positive bonus.
Don’t Look is surprisingly scary and possesses the kind of attention to detail in both its horror and its writing that makes you care about its protagonists and shudder when their lives fall into jeopardy.
