Last month, I wrote a horror short review about a disturbing topic, the gun-violence-centered short “10-33”. So now, as a palate-cleanser, we’re going to talk about a fun horror-comedy about… *checks notes* abusive relationships. Oh boy.
We’ll be talking about the horror short “It Gets Darker” by Firas Abou Fakher & Daniel Habib. 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 current Killer Shorts Horror Short Screenplay Competition.
The Plot
Lara is depressed, so her childhood friend Vanessa invites her on a vacation on an isolated resort with her. What Lara doesn’t realize until it’s too late, is that her ex Amir is also there. This whole thing was put together so that they could convince Lara not to go to the police about the cause of her depression: something terrible that Amir did to her when they were together.
After an argument with Amir takes a dark turn, Lara is left fighting for her life against her abuser and her friends who enable him.
Nadia Charbel as Lara in “It Gets Darker”
Nightmare Vacation
Though it is never explained what happened between Lara and Amir, it is clear that their relationship was a toxic one. And to make things worse, her friends are trying to get her to sympathize with her abuser. They try to get her to talk it out with him, asking her to “see his side.” Even though with what little we know about their relationship, and with how he acts throughout the film, we can still clearly see that he was in the wrong. Even when the friends think that he killed her, they still try to dispose of the body.
This is tragically something that happens with a lot of abusive relationships. Many people who leave still have friends and family that try to convince them that they are overreacting.
Which makes the situation seem more real, and also makes the audience feel for Lara. The second half consists of Amir and Lara’s friends trying to hunt her down, and these parallels to real issues make it more cathartic when she gets to them first.
But on its own, it’s still an entertaining horror film. It features a likable lead fighting back against bad people, often in bloody ways. It also features a healthy amount of comic relief to counteract the dark subject matter.
In Conclusion
“It Gets Darker,” is a fun short about a not-so-fun topic. It handles its subject matter with a great balance of seriousness and entertainment.
Watch it below.
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