3 Short Horror Films That Will Have You Sleeping With the Lights On

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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nM9xIOlEVLo

2. I already have a thing with basements, especially at night. This didn’t help that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oz6ThqHqJes

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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKWB-MVJ4sQ

Have you been down the YouTube horror rabbit hole? Share your favorites in the comments!

Originally published at jeanmariebauhaus.wordpress.com on March 27, 2018. Get the best of Jean’s blog delivered straight to your inbox, along with original short fiction and exclusive first looks at her novels. You can also follow Jean on Twitter.