Guys, what do girls do on their slumber parties? Do they just hang around watching movies? Or do they do something more sexy?
Both are wrong. They instead have supernatural cult rituals.
Today, we’re talking about the occult short horror film “Chicks,” by Geena Marie Hernandez. 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 a script ready for the next Killer Shorts Horror Short Screenplay Competition.
The Plot
A young girl is going to a sleepover with her friends. The parents are gone for the night, so they could do whatever they want. Everything is normal until weird things start happening to the girl. And that’s when the other girls decide to complete the ritual to fully induct them into their group.
Welcome to the Clique
When we first see the other girls, they give off a stereotypically “girly” vibe. From their colorful attire to their childlike excitement. The title screen being written in pink and having a heart that dots the “i” helps with that. It’s so effective that even one girl exclaiming “We’re going to get fucked up tonight!” seems to contrast with the overall mood. Not to mention how much the upcoming horror elements will contrast.
Things take a sinister turn after the new girl faints. After that, she throws up something creepy and unnatural looking, and then the other girls’ happiness takes on a more sinister feel. At this point, it feels a lot like Rosemary’s Baby, with the girls acting as Rosemary’s elderly friends whose interest in her feels like there’s something more evil behind it.
And then when they start the ritual, the environment changes entirely, going from Barbie to Midsommar. They feel different, yet not so much that they feel completely disconnected from who they were in the first half. Their happy, girly attitude is still there underneath the cultish atmosphere.
It’s a story about new friendship that just happens to have an… unusual initiation. The short doesn’t even explicitly state that anything going on is actually evil. It’s just the suggestion that it’s not right. But in a way, it still has an uplifting feel at the end, now that she has a supportive friend group.
In Conclusion
“Chicks” is an interesting horror short about friendship through a cult-like eye. It excellently sets up an upbeat tone, only to subvert it.
Watch it below.
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