Are You Afraid of the Dark?

A wonderful feel-good story, Swedish director Davis F. Sandberg, now known for his 2016 full length feature debut Lights Out and the currently-in-theatres horror prequel Annabelle: Creation, started as an animator and documentary/short filmmaker. In a dangerous amount of debt back in 2013, he wrote and directed a short film titled, perhaps you’ve guessed it, Lights Out.

Released at the Bloody Cuts Horror Challenge Film Festival, it made it to the finals, and won Sandberg the Best Director award. Then, the power of the Internet kicked in, and Lights Out shot from thousands of views to millions – and Hollywood higher ups came scrambling. The man, formerly in financial difficulties, has now become a name to watch in this recent renaissance of the horror genre out of Tinseltown.

At just shy of three minutes, it is a taut, tense ride that reminds us of why we were once (or still are) afraid of the dark. Made on a minuscule budget, it is an example of what truly matters in horror – shadow, light, setting, music and sound, all of which build to create a tangible atmosphere that oozes inescapability.

Set in a hallway and bedroom, there is only one actor onscreen, Lotta Losten (who is also an executive producer for the film), her character is simply named Woman. In many ways it is ingenious, as the trimmings do not matter in this type of experiment – she is our conduit into the horrific situation. Sandberg allows us to see what she sees, hide under the covers along with her, feel her fear. . . stalked by the unknown as light unstoppably flicks to dark. Interestingly, Sandberg only utilizes two first person point-of-view shots the whole time (both very effective), otherwise he places the camera on Losten’s frightened visage, or in prime locations to set the stage and move the action forward.

Without giving too much away, the Woman, while turning off the hallway light, sees a distinctive shadow at the end of the corridor. . . and each time she hits the switch back and forth it seems to move a little bit closer. Using some trusty duct tape to make sure the light stays on, she takes refuge in the sanctity of her own bedroom, though that is only the beginning. . . and the end of plot details here. Make sure to give it a watch – I’ve provided a link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fDzdDfviLI

A richly nuanced horror short, Lights Out is expertly executed, providing viewers with a fair share of goosebumps and a few shivers down the spine for good measure. So, face up to your fears and check out this short film that spawned a full length feature; it is, as the title says, lights out.