The lesson learned in writers/stars Molly Muse and Britt Harris’ horror short, Ghost Town, is to not screw around in a haunted house — like seriously, don’t. Fiona (Harris) and Kimmi (director Muse) are best friends on a very long road trip to a haunted (more cursed) house. Fiona is sporting a neck brace, and when their car breaks down, she goes into full freak-out mode.
Everything about Fiona hurts — her neck and joints. Oh, and she may have found a lump. The two are now forced to complete their journey on foot. Fiona’s constant whining is testing Kimmi’s patience. The task at hand is simple. Kimmi must return the small stone she stole from the house. The curse will be lifted once the stone is returned to its exact position. But “simple” is never so in horror.
“…best friends on a very long road trip to a haunted (more cursed) house.”
Like many horror shorts, Ghost Town feels like a setup for a much bigger story in that it jumps right into the action. Finoa and Kimmie have a task to accomplish, and the house’s lore presents its frightening obstacles. Though there’s very little backstory on the house or Kimmi and Fiona’s relationship, the film lays out all the information you need to know, like bread crumbs to the witch’s house.
The most remarkable element about Ghost Town is the setting, a “genuine California gold-mining ghost town” in Bodie State Historic Park. The town looks like a ghost town. I’m unsure if the “haunted house” was at the park, but it looks old and abandoned, as if time stood still. The abode is fully furnished under a cake of dust. Let’s just say that the resourceful Harris and Muse took full advantage of their location and built a creepy story around it. Their efforts paid off, but in what sinister way?
For screening information, visit the Ghost Town official web page.
"…took full advantage of their location and built a creepy story around it."
