Occult energy surges through Grayson Sebert’s horror short The Master, which comes out swinging like the most lurid of Edgar Allan Poe’s works. Set to a menacing, droning hum, the scene finds a young woman (Sebert) wandering a desolate woodland, her hands caked in blood. A ritual site, the motionless body of a boy (Harley Crawford), and a skeleton tied by rope between trees—The Master conjures strong moments of unease from the get-go.
There are a handful of glaring technical detractors that undermine the film—from bothersome gimbal movements, to middling audio quality and languid editing pace, The Master has its clear detractors that persist for all of its 3-minute runtime. However, it’s impossible to dismiss Sebert’s gripping style of writing that makes this dark fairytale stand out; you’ll definitely want to work out the hidden mythology hidden within the short’s imagery.
Where the film truly succeeds is in its atmosphere. When the blocking isn’t hindered by the limitations of a gimbal, there are some chilling compositions to behold. Sebert, dressed in all black with an aptly chosen ring around her finger, commands the screen well as we learn more and more about her character’s darkest desires. It’s a distressing watch for sure, helped along with a few well-placed practical effects.
The Master might not be the most technically refined horror short out there, but it’s certainly as effective as the foreboding, gothic literary works it champions.
