Something Behind the Walls

Set in 1936, Kit Wilson’s Something Behind the Walls follows the adventures of an intrepid reporter, Dorothy (Angela DiMarco), determined to cover a story about the mysterious disappearances on a haunted farm. Our heroine is alone walking down a country road on foot because none of the townsfolk would dare step near the farm, and this story could be the most significant break of her career.

Along the way, she runs across alcohol-loving Dr. Clarence Bowes (Christopher Berns) passed out behind the wheel of his car. As he is the one who contacted Dorothy, he takes her to the farm, where she meets the owner, Johann (Ryan Sanders).

Though Johann is a strange fella, the farm is even more bizarre. Things soon heat up when a young girl, Melody (Kailana Paresa), is reported missing by her mother. But that’s nothing compared to the strange blob-like creature Dorothy encountered in the middle of the night after waking from a dream.

“…nothing compared to the strange blob-like creature Dorothy encountered…”

Something Behind The Walls is a low-budget indie horror story that pays homage to the adventure tales of the 1930s. Writer/director Kit Wilson does a fantastic job creating a 30s period feel with good use of costuming and vintage props to transform the modern set locations.

Like monster-horror films from that era, suspense is built through the characters: the innocent Dorothy, the drunken Doctor, and the strange Farmer, who knows more than he’s letting on about their investigation of the isolated farm’s strange occurrences. As the characters accuse, deny, and act suspiciously, it all builds to the monster’s ultimate reveal and deadly motivations.

The only issue I have with Something Behind the Walls is that it’s shot predominantly using daylight. I understand the benefits of using natural light and the complications of shooting at night. Yet, there’s something about darkness that elevates our fears and anxieties, which are the exact emotions you want to evoke in your audience. It also helps hide the CG monster’s imperfections or the fact that it’s a CG monster.

Something Behind the Walls is a creepy monster thriller. With his short film, Wilson throws you back in time to the early age of creature features of old.