Still

Scary and horrifying are not the words I would use to describe the best qualities of a horror short. What makes an exceptional horror short film is presented in Rakefet Abergel’s short, Still.

Abergel stars as a despondent mother, Aliyah, who has secluded herself and her son, Jacob, in a cabin in the woods. As Aliyah prepares Jacob for his bath, phone calls from Aliyah’s mom go unanswered. Mother/son bonding time is interrupted by a flashback to Aliyah lying on the side of the road and the sound of a baby crying off in the distance.

We are then thrown to Aliyah and Jacob at the park, where a mother (Rachae Thomas) prepares the snack table for her daughter’s birthday party. Suddenly, Aliyah’s joy for the mother turns to jealousy, and in an instant, Jacob is nowhere to be found.

“…a despondent mother, Aliyah, who has secluded herself and her son, Jacob, in a cabin in the woods.”

Without getting into too many spoilers, Still hits on the themes of loss, particularly for a new mother. Not much is explained, but you get the point as Still becomes a psychological horror.

I mentioned the qualities of a good horror short, and what writer/director Abergel does with Still is build tension and keep us off-balance. As Abergel builds the tension, she adds quiet moments for release, but these quiet moments feature disconcerting moments that knock us off balance. The story then becomes delightfully creepy, which allows Abergel to become scary and horrifying.

Still is a masterclass in building tension and psychological horror, delivering an unsettling experience that lingers long after the credits roll. This short film is a haunting exploration of loss, and its eerie atmosphere makes it stand out in the horror genre.