Skeletons in the closet
Three queer couples face terrifying circumstances in this week’s horror short films
Horror as a genre has not always been kind to queer & trans people – particularly disabled and non-white queer & trans folks. A glance through Vulture’s list of 55 Essential Queer Horror Films shows a history of rendering us as villainous, grotesque, and mad - or, subjecting us to horror violence for transgressing cisheteronormativity. But as LGBTQIA+ directors and writers have gained better access to film-making, we’re starting to see more and more nuanced and complex takes on the relationship between queerness and horror, more than the simplistic fear of the Other that early horror films depicted.
When I started this newsletter in mid-October, I knew that I wanted to feature horror shorts for the week leading up to Halloween, even though it’s possible that a lot of my audience doesn’t like horror as a genre. For all of you, we’ll return to less scary fare next week, I promise.
For those who want to stick around, consider whether you might want to read the content notes at the end before jumping in! And for more queer & trans horror short films, check out horror platform Alter’s playlist of LGBTQ+ Horror & Sci-Fi Shorts.
“Jesus, you scared the shit out of me.”
Two Birds, directed by Brendan Beachman, is tense from the start, as protagonist Flynn (Avital Ash) seems constantly on edge while she washes dishes in the house she shares with her girlfriend Eve (Sarah Greyson). After the eponymous two birds startle Flynn further by crashing into the window above the sink, she goes to investigate and finds more than she bargains for. This film packs quite a terrifying punch in its short runtime, and uses the supernatural to highlight what can be monstrous but normalized within our relationships.
Two Birds
6 minutes
United States, 2017, audio in English
No closed captioning available
Also available to stream on Vimeo
“How do you put an elephant in a refrigerator?”
냉장고 안의 코끼리 | The Elephant Joke, directed by Kang Rim, takes place in broad daylight, out in the middle of the woods, sunlight flickering on the water of a reservoir, vivid greenery all around, and melodic birdsong from the trees. That’s where newly-separating couple Yeo-bin and Hae-Kwang find themselves while trying to meet up with someone who wants to adopt their cat, Churro, whose wide eyes and open mouth often resemble a human expression of terror. Instead of a person, all they find at the location is a locked refrigerator, and the bright, cheery atmosphere belies the eerieness that both characters experience at this setting.
What I loved about this short was not only the mystery of the refrigerator and the gripping lead up to the film’s final reveal, but also the way that Yeo-bin and Hae-Kwang’s relationship is characterized in such short time. We get a rich picture of what their romance must have been like from how they react to each other, and the ways they frustrate and sadden each other now that it is over.
냉장고 안의 코끼리 | The Elephant Joke
14 minutes
Korea, 2020, audio in Korean
Subtitles available in traditional and simplified Chinese, English, Indonesian, Thai, Korean, Japanese, and Spanish
Available to stream at GagaOOLala with subscription
“It’s $2.50, it’s due Wednesday, and it is cursed.”
Slow Creep, written and directed by Jim Hickcox, begins with warning from a video rental clerk that the VHS of a gory horror film called Demon Janx is apparently wanted by a creature who will kill to get all copies. That doesn’t deter siblings Otter (Nya Garner) and Sto (Jacques Colimon) from checking it out; Otter’s more perturbed by the fact that Sto has invited his boyfriend Tres (Tyrell White) for their movie night as well. Unfortunately, their disbelief in the monster won’t keep it from showing up at their house, however slowly. This horror comedy is filled with 90s nostalgia and ends with a music video that is definitely worth watching.
Slow Creep
12 minutes
United States, 2015, audio in English
English subtitles available for main film but not music video
Warning for intense flashing lights during the opening credits (0:35-1:06)
STOP SCROLING NOW IF YOU DON’T WANT CONTENT NOTES!
Content notes
Two Birds: implied intimate partner abuse, jump scares, animal harm (dead birds), blood, cigarette smoking, character forced into captivity, a character’s lips having been sewn shut
냉장고 안의 코끼리 | The Elephant Joke: jump scares, animal harm (dead animal body parts, no violence to animals shown on screen), blood, gore
Slow Creep: blood, gore, death of gay Black characters