I’m old enough to remember the early days of YouTube when it was pretty much all video diaries, pet videos, memes and people doing their own Jackass-style stunts. So I never cease to be amazed at the level of talent and production value that goes into a lot of YouTube content these days. And if you’re a horror fan, it’s one of the best places to go for a quick and terrifying fix. YouTube is home to a plethora of short indie horror films, most of which pack a real wallop of scares in only 20 minutes or less.
Here’s just a small sampling of three quickie films I clicked to watch… and then kind of wished I hadn’t, for all the right reasons.
1. Based on a Reddit fiction challenge response that has already become an Internet classic, this two-minute film sent chills down my spine in spite of already being familiar with the source material.
2. I already have a thing with basements, especially at night. This didn’t help that.
3. It might not be fair to include this one here. A sci-fi horror short from Neil Blompkamp’s Oats Studios starring Dakota Fanning, this gives us all a good idea of what a Blomkamp-directed Alien sequel might have been. Although between this incredibly disturbing monster and a xenomorph, I think I’d rather take my chances with ol’ Double-Chompers.
Have you been down the YouTube horror rabbit hole? Share your favorites in the comments!