Oh, in the late hour, how dreadful the bumps and shadows of the night can be. But rest assured, it’s usually nothing more than the wicked tricks of your paranoid mind running amok … well … if you’re lucky. Because sometimes those ghostly flashes in one’s peripherals or the unsettling creaks of one’s home can be far more real and malevolent than any would want them to be. And if they truly are, then what is a lonesome soul to do? This question and more, I’m sure, ran through Josh’s mind, when he found himself caught in an unsettling game of cat-and-mouse with the mysterious, shadow stalker known as The Visitant.
The Visitant (2024) is a horror-short written and directed by Chad and Brennan Sano that tells the tale of Josh (Aaron Groben), an artist that inadvertently creates a gateway into another world that invites a dark presence into his home.
Clocking in at exactly 7 minutes (with credits), not a single second is wasted, wracking the spirit with a lingering dread that does not let up from the first to the very last frame. It’s simply inspiring how much story and emotion can be packed into a blink of human existence and all done in such limited space with almost no dialogue. In fact, I believe Josh only has a single spoken line in the entire run time. The rest of the film relies on the masterfully crafted tone, Aaron’s performance, and of course the titled dark entity, The Visitant, all of which twister together in a delightfully unsettling maelstrom of short form cinema.
However, with all that said, I imagine some may still find it lacking in certain areas. For instance, the story is simplistic, offering nothing overly unique in its delivery or premise. In fact, even the idea that the character of Josh opens a door into another world through mental manifestation, his art, or some combination of the two, isn’t made very clear. It’s certainly stated and is interesting in concept, but not with no real punch to make it obvious or deeper exploration into it, that detail doesn’t shine like it probably could have. The situation instead comes across more as occurring just because, which is fine. It works. It doesn’t need any more anything to deliver on its spooky vibes or scares, which it wisely chooses to focus on to great success.
Next, we need to talk about The Visitant, itself, which although creepy, holds no real sense of memorable design. But this, like my previously mentioned nitpick, doesn’t hold the film back. The Visitant is a classic example of less is more. It’s a creepy, shadowy entity with a good silhouette and a firmly stated presence. It evokes terror and malevolence without needing more bells or whistles. Because even without anything extra, it bolsters the real star of the whole film, the gripping mood.
Now some may feel shortchanged with the story and characters. But here’s the thing. It’s a 7-minute short. There’s only so much you can pack in. And when doing so, more often than not, one should prioritize establishing a distinct tone and evoking a specific vibe, before telling an elaborate tale (in my opinion). Now, this isn’t to say that short films should never strive to tell an original story. Far from it. But a short film (to me) is better served telling a simple tale in an evocative way, rather than trying to tell a condensed version of a larger or more complicated project. It’s substance of the spirit of a story vs. an overstuffed condensed narrative, if that makes sense. And with so little time, it’s better to leave viewers with a memorable feeling rather than an undeserved idea of an original story that obviously needs more time to make it blossom, no matter how interesting it could be.
In the end, I enjoyed The Visitant. Short. Simple. Creepy. And to the point. What you see is what you get. And what you get packs a punch. It’s mostly vibes and one simple scenario. But does it have to be anything more than that, especially for only 7 minutes? I don’t think so. It could have, but it doesn’t need to be. It sings the haunting serenade of late-night shadows and whispers for a solid 7 minutes, delivering on any horror fan’s expectation. So, if you’re looking for good quality cheap thrills with the vibes of a feature length fear-ride, then look no further than The Visitant, out now on YouTube. Link below.
The Visitant - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IY98G7QgDLI&t=78s
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