Having everything that is needed to build a spine tingling horror short, writer/director/cinematographer Jaron Henrie-McCrea’s just under four minute film, Peephole (2018), is one of the easiest and spookiest watches you’ll enjoy this Halloween season.
Centred on a sole person, simply known as Man (Tim Lueke), and never hearing even a single word of dialogue, our character can be found asleep on his comfy couch in his small apartment. We’ve all been here before. . . late at night, our eyes becoming heavy, the television, whether exciting or boring (after all, not every infomercial has a knife that can cut through shoes), isn’t enough to keep us from dozing off.
In this case, the television is playing a creepy black and white era marionette show, with the type of carnival-like music that comes off as utterly unnerving in this type of picture. Having stirred our young male, he soon finds himself wide awake as a serious knock at the door permeates the room.
Looking through the peephole, what he sees (besides the industrial style cement wall and neighbour’s yellow door) is a man dressed in a similar garb – his back turned so that his face cannot be seen. Quickly taking a peep outside the front door, this mysterious person disappears. . . but as we know with these types of things, this is not the end, but simply the beginning of this poor Man’s night.
Both visually striking and uniquely scripted, inside, flickering lights from the television give off a shadowy mood. . . outside, LEDs provide a harsher, more visible perspective – yet somehow, this juxtaposition offers no safety on either side of the door. Henrie-McCrea, understanding where scares come from, combines this effective cinematography with a story that will spook anyone, especially if you grew up watching the marionette show Thunderbirds. Amplifying the terror, what at first seemed to be just a perfect background (the marionette tv show), comes full circle – an unexpected horror twist that offers some nice thrills and chills.
A quality short that any horror fan can fit into their busy day, Peephole will be sure to impress. Like an engaging set-up to introduce a full length feature before its opening credits roll, its production values are high, premise exciting, and there are scares aplenty. . . while it introduces the classic horror theme of ‘the double’. So, dance right into this little short film. . . let’s just hope that you’re controlling your own strings.