In just over five minutes, The Final Podcast delivers a sharp, unsettling snapshot of something much larger and far more dangerous than it first appears. Directed by Brian Feeney, the short places us inside a seemingly routine podcast recording, until the tension quietly shifts, and we realize we’re not just listening in. We’re being watched.
The film unfolds with eerie stillness, relying on natural performances and minimal dialogue to build its atmosphere. The conversation touches on artificial intelligence and the implications of unchecked technology, but it’s what’s happening outside the frame that keeps you uneasy. Feeney never leans on exposition or cheap thrills. Instead, the horror creeps in sideways, through implication and mood.
A tense moment unfolds in the kitchen as a woman points a knife in The Final Podcast.
“…we’re not just listening in. We’re being watched.”
What makes The Final Podcast so effective is its refusal to explain. The events that unfold are jarring and brutal, but they’re not tied up with a bow. Who is responsible? Why did it happen? Is it political, personal, or something else entirely? The film trusts the audience to sit in that uncertainty, and that restraint is exactly what gives it power.
The minimalist approach works in its favour. Clean visuals, tight sound design, and a single location give the short a sense of focus, while the ending lands like a punch. It’s not showy, but it doesn’t need to be. This is micro-horror with a long tail, the kind of short that lingers in your thoughts because it gives you just enough to imagine the worst.
The Final Podcast is tense, ambiguous, and quietly unnerving, a strong, confident piece of short-form horror that knows exactly how much to say, and when to leave the rest unsaid.
"…jarring and brutal..."
