The Box

Film-makers who try their hand at horror in the form of short films have their work cut out for them. I've seen too many take a cheap shortcut and throw in a very conventional jump scare that kills the atmosphere the feature was building, and few that take a chance at something different. 'The box,' quick as it is, takes a chance. And it's wonderful.

A very simple premise. A fast narrative with scarcely greater detail, but which drops instant hints of larger lore that whet our appetite. And a plain, unobtrusive ending that suggests a much grander tale that could be told. The thrills are minor, but notable for the fact that a short of such minute duration could produce them at all.

It's brief, neat, sharply produced, and eye-catching, while dispensing with the most common tools of the horror genre. Especially at only 4 minutes long, 'The box' is well worth opening.