Piggy (2022)

PiggySara is an overweight girl who gets constantly bullied by a group of other teenage girls: Maca, Roci and Claudia. One of these girls even used to be her friend. They call her Cerdita (Piggy), and she can’t get a moment of peace no matter where she goes. On a hot summer day, she decides to visit the local swimming pool, where there’s no one else except another man who leaves shortly after. The peace doesn’t last long, though, because of course the three bullies comes along and ruins everything for her and also ends up stealing her backpack and clothes. Wearing nothing but her bikini, she has to walk home and gets harassed by a group of men who makes fun of her weight. Devastated, she escapes onto a side road, where she sees a parked van. Suddenly, a bloodied Claudia appears in the window of the van, screaming and begging for Sara to help her. Struck with fear, she freezes when realizing that the driver of the van has kidnapped those girls. Then, the kidnapper locks gazes with her, and she recognizes him as the man who was by the swimming pool earlier. He drops off her towel so she can cover herself, and drives off. Returning home, Sara finds herself conflicted as the kidnapper is one of the very few people in her life who have shown her some kindness and respect, and she decides to not tell anyone about what happened. Things escalate as the search for the missing girls are put into force, and other people are found dead. Sara is not sure how long she can keep her mouth shut in allegiance with the serial killer…

 

Piggy (original title: Cerdita) was released in 2022 and is Carlota Pereda’s feature film debut, and based on the short film by the same name from 2018. Both the feature film and the short film features Laura Galán in the leading role, and the shooting locations included the village of Villanueva de la Vera and the surrounding areas.

 

Now, looking at some of the posters for this film, where Sara is covered in blood on a hot Spanish summer day, and others where she’s been edited to be wielding a knife in her hand, one might think this is a typical revenge thriller movie. It’s not. Setting the film off by showing how Sara is bullied by people left and right while getting to meet an actual serial killer who – ironically – is the only person who shows her some kind of affection, really does set the mood. Yes, we sympathize with Sara and what she’s going through, and yeah…we don’t really feel too bad for those girls who are simply portrayed as a group of mean bitches. The exception is supposed to be Claudia, who used to be Sara’s friend, but who now enjoys being with the “cool” girls instead. We can see that she initially hesitates when seeing how the others treat Sara, but she soon joins in and does absolutely nothing to stop them. Despite being somewhat portrayed as the “lesser evil” among the girls, I honestly think she’s just as bad, maybe even worse. So yeah, we want to see Sara getting justice, but it plays out more as a drama thriller where the heroine is constantly plagued with differing feelings of both guilt and loyalty to the man who kidnapped her tormentors. And the majority of the villagers are also portrayed as people who aren’t exactly easy to like, including Sara’s own family, with the exception of her dad who seems to be the only person she’s got an okay relationship with.

 

Piggy aka Cerdita is a not a typical revenge film or slasher, but as a drama thriller about a bullied girl who ends up fighting quite the dilemma. Who to choose: the serial killer who saved you from your bullies, or the bullies and villagers who couldn’t really give a shit about you? In a regular slasher the answer to that question would have been obvious, but this movie is taking a more realistic approach. Sara never turns into some kind of badass heroine, but instead she’s coming to her own decisions despite her conflicting feelings. Definitely worth a watch, and an interesting take on how a bullied person would deal with having an evil savior.

 

Piggy Piggy

 

 

Writer and director: Carlota Pereda
Country & year: Spain, 2023
Original title: Cerdita
Actors: Laura Galán, Richard Holmes, Carmen Machi, Irene Ferreiro, Camille Aguilar, Claudia Salas, José Pastor, Fernando Delgado-Hierro, Julián Valcárcel, Amets Otxoa
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10399608/

 

 

Vanja Ghoul

 

 

 

 

 

Nightwatch: Demons Are Forever (2023)

Nightwatch: Demons Are ForeverIt’s been approximately 30 years since the events of Nightwatch aka Nattevakten (1994), and the survivors aren’t actually faring so well. Martin is a complete wreck, not just because of his obvious PTSD but also because his wife Kalinka committed suicide after never getting over the trauma this incident caused her. He’s without a job and haven’t even received any welfare pay, and he tries to chase away his demons with drink and pills. Yeah, that always works great. His daughter, Emma, is trying to help him out but it’s apparent that she hasn’t properly processed her mother’s suicide either, which isn’t too surprising considering that she’s the one who found her. Not to mention the impact it all had on Jens, who bailed ass out of the country and have been living in Thailand ever since. Trauma has indeed dug its claws deep into everyone involved. Emma was never told about what happened, but when looking through some old newspaper clippings she finds out about the serial killer Wörmer and her parents involvement with him. History often likes to repeat itself, and Emma ends up taking a night watch job at – you guessed it – the exact same place as her father worked. Good choice! And when she finds out that Wörmer is still alive and just woke up from his coma, she wants to meet him in the hopes of finally exorcising both her father’s demons and her own. Unwittingly, she just ends up letting even more demons loose…

 

Nightwatch – Demons are Forever (original title: Nattevagten – Dæmoner går i arv) is a danish thriller/horror movie from 2023. It’s a direct sequel to the first film from 1994, Nightwatch, and both are written and directed by Ole Bornedal. A sequel almost 30 years later may feel like an odd choice, but considering how this movie became a danish cult classic back in the days it’s a fun way to re-introduce the film while giving a follow-up to the story, including the original actors coming back to play their earlier roles. It’s definitely a nice watch for those who have seen the original, and while some may argue that a sequel this long afterwards feels unnecessary, I’d like to counter-argue with what the hell kind of sequel these days are really necessary anyways..?

 

Just like the first film, there is a mystery and several red herrings attempting to throw you off guard. While this isn’t as effective as in the first, it’s compelling enough to keep you engaged. The red thread here is trauma and its effect on everyone involved, and while this sequel can’t even come close to being as effectual for today’s audience as the first film was (which would have been a bit weird to expect anyways) it’s still a well-crafted thriller. It’s also a lot of fun to see the old actors from the first film getting back together again for this sequel, and the actor playing Emma, Fanny Bornedal, is the director’s own daughter. It was also enjoyable to see Ulf Pilgaard back as the serial killer Wörmer, although quite reduced due to old age (83 years) he manages to come off as an intimidating predator who of course still likes to repeatedly listen to some creepy-ass old song (Lille Lise lett på tå).

 

Overall, Nightwatch – Demons are Forever is a decent sequel that comes incredibly late, but better late than never as they say. Or at least that’s true in some cases. Sure, there’s nothing groundbreaking here, and if we are going to be perfectly honest there wasn’t really any of that in the original either, it was just presented to an audience where the majority had never seen something like that before. The film offers up a nice thriller mystery and will probably work best for those who have seen the original, although it isn’t a must.

 

Nightwatch: Demons Are Forever Nightwatch: Demons Are Forever Nightwatch: Demons Are Forever

 

Writer and director: Ole Bornedal
Country & year: Denmark, 2023
Original title: Nattevagten – Dæmoner går i arv
Actors: Fanny Leander Bornedal, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Alex Høgh Andersen, Sara Viktoria Bjerregaard, Kim Bodnia, Vibeke Hastrup, Pelle Emil Hebsgaard, Ulf Pilgaard, Sonja Richter, Paprika Steen
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6318608/

 

Prequel: Nightwatch (1994)

 

Vanja Ghoul

 

 

 

RED GLOVES – Horror Short

In 1980s NYC, a young dancer at the top of her class is stalked during a lonely night of rehearsing by a shadowy figure wearing red gloves.

 

Horror Short Sunday is here again, and this time we’ve seen Red Gloves from 2023, directed by Santiago Saba Salem and written by Santiago Saba Salem and Drew Maxwell Weiss. We’re in the 1980’s, and some dancers in NYC are rehearsing. One of them stays alone in order to keep practicing, and of course, someone’s out to get her! Someone we can’t fully see except from noticing them wearing red gloves in typical giallo-style (well, the usual style is black gloves, but everyone’s got their own fashion preferences). It’s impossible to not notice the apparent Suspiria-vibes in this one, and it’s like a love letter to both the aforementioned film and the giallo genre.

 

RED GLOVES - Horror Short

Director: Santiago Saba Salem
Writer: Santiago Saba Salem, Drew Maxwell Weiss
Country & year: USA, 2023
Actors: Isabelle Phillips, Ed Malone, Ruth Kavanagh, Madison Grace Johnson, Olivia Greco, Alexandra Osorio, Maya Tsuruki-Holden
IMDb: www.imdb.com/title/tt28499552/

 

 

 

 

GOOD HEAD – Horror Short Film

When Hollywood mega-star Cooper Bradley goes to a special-effects lab in Atlanta to get his head molded for his latest film, all hell breaks loose. Not only must he try to escape from this freakish funhouse of props and make-up, but in the process he must retrieve his very soul, which the VFX master has stolen.

 

For this Horror Short Sunday, we’ve decided to present Good Head from 2021, being shown on Alter. It’s written and directed by Matt Servitto, who also plays the role as the Hollywood star who ends up having a not so pleasant experience in a special effects lab. It’s fun and energetic, with comedy moments that are both crazy and freakish. Imagine having to fight with Jackie Chan’s hands, the butt of Meryl Streep and seeing Jennifer Lopez’s leg hop around? Yep, all of that actually happens here. It’s Voodoo, baby!

 

GOOD HEAD - Horror Short Film

Director: Matt Servitto
Writer: Matt Servitto
Country & year: USA, 2021
Actors: Henry Zebrowski, Matt Servitto, Addie Weyrich, Dan Triandiflou
IMDb: www.imdb.com/title/tt15463340/

 

 

 

 

OCCUPANT – Horror Short

A quiet evening at home takes a bizarre turn when a man goes to investigate strange noises in his yard.

 

It’s Horror Short Sunday once again! This time, we take a look at Occupant which is a horror short that starts with a man’s mundane, everyday life: he’s putting his daughter to bed, and tells her a good-night story. Then, after speaking briefly to his wife, he hears strange noises from outside and decides to go investigate. It’s very simple, yet effective enough to be both atmospheric and provide enough mystery to keep you guessing what will eventually happen!

OCCUPANT - Horror Short

Director: Peter Cilella
Writer: Peter Cilella
Country & year: USA, 2018
Actors: Caroline Jennings, Dan O’Brien, Lauran September
IMDb: www.imdb.com/title/tt8760354/

 

 

 

 

SEA DEVIL – Horror Short Film

An American fisherman attempts to smuggle two Cuban immigrants into Miami, passing them off as day laborers. While the group trawls for shrimp, a fourth person boards the boat, carrying a secret at the bottom of the Ocean.

 

Sea Devil is a creepy sea monster horror short!

SEA DEVIL - Horror Short Film

 

Director: Dean Colin Marcial, Brett Potter
Writer: Dean Colin Marcial, Brett Potter
Country & year: USA, 2014
Actors: Moise Brutus, Antoni Corone, Taylor Rouviere, Mario Ernesto Sánchez
IMDb: www.imdb.com/title/tt2503344/

 

 

 

 

TWISTED TALES: A SUPER 8 ANTHOLOGY – Horror Short


A deliciously depraved trilogy shot entirely on Super 8 film. Set in the ’60s, THE LANDLORD’S DAUGHTER, a couple’s twisted desires lead them to abduct an engaged couple. BAG FOR LIFE is a psycho-sexual thriller about a murderous bag with an unhealthy attraction to its owner. Lastly, THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE about a psychopathic office worker who embarks on a deadly rampage to exterminate anybody unlucky enough to share her peculiar name.

 

Twisted Tales: A Super 8 Anthology is a weird horror short shot on one continuous roll of Super 8 film, made by the same director of Rhyme or Die!

TWISTED TALES: A SUPER 8 ANTHOLOGY - Horror Short

 

Director: Max Lincoln
Writer: Max Lincoln
Country & year: UK, 2024
Actors: Abayomi Oniyide, Rose Lucas, Aiste Gramantaite, Giovanni Mocchi, Victor Alli, Daisy Moore, Amanda Urvall Nyren, Alicia Britt, Cherrelle Skeete, Shiloh Coke, Elizabeth West, Nick Finegan

 

 

 

 

THE BRASS ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM – Horror Short

The Man sits, sipping tea in an endless void, until a chandelier comes crashing down. The pieces transform into a Woman and the newly met couple wonder endlessly as the void presents objects and events that disrupt time, space and logic.

 

The Brass Elephant in the Room is a surreal and really strange horror short with a dark fairytale vibe to it.

THE BRASS ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM - Horror Short

 

Director: Junior Day, Eleanor Dolan
Writer: Junior Day
Country & year: UK, 2020
Actors: Tatjana Anders, Edward Saunders
IMDb: www.imdb.com/title/tt12032850/

 

 

 

 

CALVING – Horror Short Film

In a rural Irish village, a strange calf is born. And it won’t stop screaming.

 

Calving is an atmospheric allegorical horror short.

CALVING - Horror Short Film

 

Director: Louis Bhose
Writer: Louis Bhose
Country & year: UK, 2021
Actors: Steven Mackintosh, Liz Fitzgibbon, Philip O’Sullivan, Gerry O’Brien
IMDb: www.imdb.com/title/tt13607452/

 

 

 

 

LAST WORDS – Horror Short

When a hiker awakes in the wilderness to find herself separated from her friend, she hears a familiar voice crying for help.

 

Last Words is a mysterious and creepy horror short, proving that scary stuff can also happen in broad daylight!

LAST WORDS - Horror Short

 

Director: Teal Greyhavens, Nikolai Von Keller
Writer: Teal Greyhavens, Nikolai Von Keller
Country & year: USA, 2023
Actors: Julien Crane, Ari Fromm, Charlotte Hjerpe, Jake Jeffers, Jacobii Leal, Nick Luberto, Ché March, Richardson Palmer
IMDb: www.imdb.com/title/tt27707083/