Content Warning: This film contains depictions of gun violence that may be especially disturbing for some viewers.
We’ve all seen horror movies about ghosts and monsters. But, really, the most terrifying things are those that happen in the real world. Even if they hit close to home in today’s world.
In this post, we’ll be talking about the psychological horror short, “10-33,” by our very own second place winner, Alexander Maxim Seltzer. It is now streaming on Alter’s YouTube channel, and you can also watch it at the end of this article. It might inspire you to get your own script ready for the next Killer Shorts Horror Short Screenplay Competition.
The Plot
Ava is enjoying a night at the theater. Until she goes into a bathroom stall, and hears gunshots from the other side of the door. She is now trapped, as the gunman stands outside the stall, trying to get her to open the door.
Don’t Open the Door
10-33 finds real horror in actual modern day issues. It comes out at a time where mass shootings are frequently in the news, particularly in America. This short could have simply exploited that as a cheap, cynical way to make the audience uncomfortable, but it instead uses it to create an actually tense situation and atmosphere.
Like the shower scene in Psycho, it catches the main character in the bathroom, in a position associated with vulnerability. And now only a stall door separates her from an armed man. And the smaller aspect ratio adds a tighter feel to emphasize her isolation.
We never see the gunman or any of the violence, aside from a few glimpses of the blood. But we don’t need to, because we can clearly imagine the horror on the other side of the door, and the anger in his voice is enough to make him a menacing presence.
And it’s helped by stellar performances from Alison Louder and Andrew Chown as Ava and the gunman respectively. Ava brings convincing fear to her performance, and the gunman is unnervingly convincing. In a bleak story, that seems to be ripped straight from the headlines.
In Conclusion
10-33 is not an easy watch, and that is a big part of why it works. But even without the timeliness, it is a great exercise in building tension. And we’d expect nothing less from a Killer Shorts second place winner.
Watch it below.
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