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Short Horror Films By David F. Sandberg"
Star Ratings Irrelevant
Are you afraid of the dark? It's a question filmmaker David F. Sandberg is very interested in.
I first became aware of Sandberg when I reviewed his feature-length film debut, the horror film "Lights Out" (2016). At the time I declared it the horror movie of the year and placed it on my year-end top ten list. Sandberg, I believed, was going to turn into a major talent. And so he has. A year later I was impressed once again with his "Annabelle: Creation" (2017), placing it in on year-end list. It was a step up for Sandberg to direct a film that was part of the "Conjuring Universe". His success continued; directing films that were part of the DC Universe; "Shazam!" (2019) and its sequel "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" (2023).
Sandberg however has directed several short films. In fact, he continues to direct short films in between his major theatrical releases. To me this implies a strong fondness for this particular format of filmmaking; and why I wanted to explore it during this year's blog theme, Life is Short - my year long look at short films. I would imagine short films provide Sandberg and his wife, Lotta Losten - who stars in these films - the opportunity to explore ideas and filming techniques. These short films aren't meant to be miniature three act structures. They are simple premises, based on singular ideas, that in some cases run approximately three minutes long. The films are simply meant to explore our fear of the dark.
"Lights Out" was based on a 2013 short film of the same title starring Losten. In the film she is about to go to bed and shuts off her hallway light. Whenever she does this though a shadowy figure appears at the end of the hall. No matter how many times she flicks the light on and off the figure remains in the dark. The woman finally decides it is best to keep the light on and with some trepidation goes in her bedroom. From her bed the situation intensifies. She can see the light in the hallway shut off and her bedroom door appears open. Each time an incident happens the woman hides under her blanket only to discover something new has transpired when she peaks up. It escalates to a frightening conclusion. This is all accomplished in just under three minutes.
Unlike other short films I have watched recently, this isn't academic filmmaking focused on the heavy use of symbolism and metaphor. What it is however is excellent filmmaking nonetheless. Sandberg knows how to frame a scene and build suspense by playing on an audience's expectation. That is what I responded to so strongly in his feature-length version of "Lights Out" but Sandberg displays that talent here in this short as well.
What Sandberg and Losten, who is listed as a co-directed on the film, do so effectively in "Lights Out" is put the audience in her perspective. We don't know more than she does. We experience everything as she does. Some horror movies for example will show a killer in the corner of a frame but the main characters don't see the person. Other horror movies put us in the POV of the killer, stalking their victim, who never seems cognizant of their surroundings. In "Lights Out" information is delayed until the character discovers it. So each time she hides under that blanket, and we are shown her hiding, we never know what to expect when she looks up. We hearing someone's footsteps. We hear the light switch go off. And that is enough to scare us.
Contrast that with what Sandberg does in "Not Alone in Here" (2020). Sandberg and Losten change the dynamic a bit but bring to the fore an idea that was in the background of "Lights Out". It's not just the idea of being in the dark that is scary, it's the idea of being alone. "Lights Out" exposes our fear of the dark but what was really scary for the woman in the film is the fact she was all by herself. That's adds to our fear. Not having anyone to share the experience with. Not having someone around who could possibly protect us.
That is what "Not Alone in Here" examines. This time the film takes place largely in light. A woman (Losten) is almost positive she looked her kitchen door but when she sees the door wide open, her mind begins to play tricks on her. For this film narration is used as an inner dialogue. It is meant to further place us in her mind. The woman tries to calmly diagnose the situation. Even if the door was locked what should she do next? Call the police? And tell them what? Leave and check into a hotel? Then she'll never know if the person left or not when she returns?
Instead the women searches her home with a large knife. She goes room by room until she is somewhat comfortable and stays in her bedroom. This is the first time the women is in the dark. She is still afraid which proves light or dark is immaterial, the real fear comes from our mind and being alone.
"Shadowed" finds Sandberg and Losten looking for new ways to explore these themes. This short is a bit closer to "Lights Out" but what I found improved upon was Sandberg's scene composition. The film begins with a woman (Losten again) sitting in her bed when the power suddenly goes out. What caught my eye is the window is directly in the foreground. Horror movie fans probably have their eyes trained to expect something to walk pass the window or stare through the window. That by itself builds tension. When the power goes out, the woman grabs a flashlight in her bedroom drawer. Each time she thinks she hears a noise, she points the flashlight and her body in the direction of the noise. This caused me to expect something to be behind her when she turns around. Which may or may not happen. Sandberg is playing the audience like a piano. He knows the tropes and knows the audience does too.
This film also differs from Sandberg's other shorts by adding surrealism, this is something we saw in his earlier short, "Closet Space" (2016), which adds a new layer to his work. In "Shadowed" wherever she points the flashpoint she sees a shadow of something not in the room. At first it is innocent, the shadow is of a vase on her dresser, but then it turns scarier, the shadows are of people.
Of the three shorts this is probably Sandberg being his most symbolic. Flashlights, my old film school professors taught us, represent both hope and danger. The flashlight can be used for survival but of course, it only illuminates a small area, leaving room for potential danger. That is exactly the theme Sandberg is playing with here and in "Lights Out" - the dichotomy between light and dark, fear and safety.
If there are faults with Sandberg's films, the main one is the treatment of its female characters. The shorts seems to go out of their way to suggest unspeakable danger, and possible torment, awaits the character and terrify her. This is partly a trope of the genre, the cruel treatment of women. So to criticize these shorts, means to criticize the entire genre. What distinguishes these short films from other horror movies is at least the set-ups created by Sandberg and Losten are scary. But we know from directors like Jennifer Kent and Erin Lovett that you can create female led horror films, work within the tropes, and still add emotional depth and treat the characters with respect.
The other downside to these shorts is their running time. You aren't going to accomplish much of a narrative arc in three minutes. These aren't shorts you watch for their intricate storylines. It would be difficult to see how these storylines could be expanded into feature-length films. But I wouldn't have been able to see how Sandberg would transform his "Lights Out" short into a feature film. I think Sandberg merely views these shorts as fun experiments, where he can test out ideas.
That becomes a takeaway for short films in general. They help directors explore ideas and learn how to execute them. You can see this in Sandberg's work. You also see the joy of filmmaking despite the scary content of the films. Sandberg and Losten appear to be having a good time, which becomes infectious.
I'm happy to say Sandberg's talents appear to have been recognized by other critics as well. When the theatrical version of "Lights Out" was released, former
Chicago Sun-Times critic Richard Roeper wrote the movie gave him the chills and went on to praise the film stating it "isn't merely one of the scariest movies of the year - it's one of the best movies of the year, genre be damned." Over at the
Chicago Tribune they called Sandberg's second feature, "Annabelle: Creation", "uncommonly, nerve-wrackingly satisfying."
Sandberg's last short film was in 2023 but he continues to direct feature-length projects, such as this year's "Until Dawn" (2025), which is available on various streaming platforms. The film is based on a video game, which is a trend I am not particularly fond of; though I am happy to say it was shot in Budapest. Movie fans may also be happy to know Sandberg has another film in pre-production called "Below".
This trio of short films by Sandberg showcase a highly capable filmmaker exploring and developing his craft. His continuous examination of our fears of the dark and isolation is quietly turning him into one of the most accomplished directors in the horror genre in the past decade. If you are looking for a good scare this Halloween watch these short films, alone and in the dark.
