10. Back At You
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVodHQEP6PI
Tim Sullins lo-fi four minute exercise in sustained dread is a fine example of the kind of atmospheric horror that can only really be presented as a short: whether in prose or film, the short form is perfect for sharp, nasty and inexplicable jabs to the prefrontal cortex. In Back At You, the angles are all wrong, a skewed frame and eerie lack of soundtrack contributing to the menace seeping from every second. Beginning with a knocking sound, the source of which is never located, the unnamed protagonist appears completely unaware that hes being watched as he goes about his normal routine (such as it is). By the time we hear breaking glass the viewer is aware of whats happening, helpless to intervene, but the hapless man has no idea... until that final wrenching jump and cut to black. Some short films leave you wondering what the filmmaker could do, given a larger budget and a greater canvas to paint on. Films like Back At You just make you want the lone auteur (usually writer, star, director, editor and sound... geezer in one) to carry on making excellent short films. Well, when youve found your medium...