Portrait of God (Short Horror Film)
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- čas přidán 27. 08. 2022
- A religious girl prepares a presentation about a painting titled "Portrait of God". What she sees challenges her beliefs.
Link to the Vimeo version (much better compression): vimeo.com/744201078
Link to IMDb Page: www.imdb.com/title/tt22477180...
My Contact Email: mccormick.clark@gmail.com
My Instagram: @dylanmcclarkus
Check out more work from composer Ryan Shreves: / ryanshreves
Ryan’s Website: www.ryanshreves.com
Ryan’s Instagram: @ryanshreves
Check out more work from our lead actress Sydney Brumfield: www.sydneybrumfield.com/
Sydney's Instagram: @sydney.brumfield
Check out more work from some of the talented voice actors involved in this project:
Tom Racine: www.tomracinevoice.com
John Martin: johnmartinproductions.co.uk/
Ali Dusinberre: alidusinberre.com
Connect with our crew:
Surina Belk-Gupta's Instagram: @surina.pop
Lucas Cavanagh's Linktree: linktr.ee/lucascavanagh
Andrew Caffrey's Instagram: @tsar_andrew
Andrew Caffrey's Email: ajohncaffrey@gmail.com - Krátké a kreslené filmy
Damn, man! This was so well done! I am so happy to have been a tiny part of it, and I'm sending this to everyone I know! Creepy, understated, powerful!
Thanks so much Tom! So glad you were a part of it.
100th like and no 2nd comment??
ayo
what did you do? :-)
Do you guys take submissions for short horror ideas
I am obsessed with that exact moment where she's no longer grateful for being able to see him but instead starts to fear him. This is an awesome short film
but she is still grateful at the end, the comments from the others who saw it even talk about it
"of course its frightening, that kind of power should be"
it do be like that
Well it makes sense because God is to be feared more than the devil
@@DD-pb4lj exactly. God created Lucifer, aka Satan, after all. God created everything. His level of power should be terrifying to comprehend.
God in a sense is pure love and good, He appears as a light because no one can see His true face or form. All we do know is man was made in His image, and that is all we will ever know.
It is all we need to know.
One of the best tactics in horror movies is when the monster is barely visible, just visible enough to tell you it exists and its closer than you think. Love what you did here
You have to build up the horror part for that. Which is also shown here. The recordings she played are also referring to how GOD or the entity looks like or how scary it is. This makes an impact on the viewers mind long before he is actually seen.
yes exactly because revealing it too much ends up looking funny sometimes.
2:14
I adore things like this.
A background detail that’s just invisible enough that you might overlook it entirely or just assume it’s something else…but then in the next shot it vanishes and you slowly realise that something was behind her the entire time.
Yes, because the unknown is not itself frightening. There are many things I know nothing about and am not frightened by it. What is frightening is to know enough, and yet, at the same time: not enough.
So long as we remain in that gap, it takes our center away.
But in all honesty, there is not enough you could show me that might frighten me unless it implicated something greater.
Just like walking into a wolves den, you suddenly realize what enormous danger you are in. Not knowing when the wolves return, but knowing that they will, is what incentivizes us, what we call fear.
Absolutely.
Considering that even some angels are aware of their frightening appearance and ask us not to be afraid, the possibility of God being equally bizarre the first time is great.
And you know this from personal experience or just movies?
@@joshgrimm8443 Just search for biblically accurate angels. It's in the Bible too. They appear asking people not to be afraid.
@@joshgrimm8443 Uh, they know because the bible literally describes angels…
@@joshgrimm8443Prime example of do your research before you try to talk shit 😂
Image and likeness
I love the detail of the timer at the end. 3 hours. Staring at what appears to be nothing…for 3 hours. This is gonna keep me up at night. Bravo!
My favorite part about that detail is, the human eye *cannot* be open for 3 hours. It would cause irreparable damage to the eyes to be open for that long, and you can even see just how damaged her eyes *look* in the end. Something about that detail makes it so much more eerie for me
Thought it was 3 days and 3 hours
Actually it's probably a way to interpret the film differently: as a regular horror. If you stare into nothing in total or almost total darkness for a long time, you start to hollucinate, maybe that's what actually happened to her. She listened to the description others did, recorded herself many times in a dark room and stared at a dark picture for 3 hours. She was seeing what she expected to see but nothing was actually there. Basically imagine a painting yourself.
it could also represent the time at which jesus was suposedly crucified, all that 333 thing
@@o_u_i_j_a_6634 (hour:minute:seconds.milliseconds)
EDITED BY POPULAR DEMAND
SPOILERS
Holy shit...didn't uhhhh expect this. I expected it to drown in the other comments. Sorry for spoilers.....:(
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The realization that it was actually in the room and not just a photo of a portrait was....incredibly dreadful. That pure, sense of fear and terror. Not just scares. Absolutely incredible
why would one be scared of god? he's bound to save us all, we shouldn't fear him
It's not necessarily God in one interpretation or another. It might be something mortals can not comprehend, so they mistake it for God. Or it may be that he didn't actually harm her. The good word does say that mortal souls looking upon him while still covered in Sin is not supposed to be safe. So if he gave her what she wanted, to see him, while still alive, and therefore living in sin as all mortals do. She nor others would be able to survive it, let alone safely endure the experience.
@@jordan321able wait, what happens if god kills a person? will the person still have a chance to go to heaven if they ask for forgiveness for their sins? or do they go straight to where they were supposed to go?
@@San-lh8us it's meant to be more abstract. The question of "is this thing God?" is left to audience interpretation.
@@Imbettadenu i did watch the video, why do you ask?
The fact that she's clutching that cross so hard that her fingers are drawing blood is so eerie and I love it
“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image”
@@CharlesA2 There has to be something more to the commandment than just ‘don’t make an image about heaven’. God would be contradicting Himself because later He made the Israelites make the Ark of the Covenant, which is a “graven image.”
I interpreted it as the cross bleeding on its own, like the blood of Christ
@@DavidtinSongulous9856 what god means is not to make an interpretation of what he looks like, similar to how to the isrealites made the golden calf while moses was in the mountain speaking to god, which is why nearly all the isrealites were put to death
@@TheUser69420 What the people who wrote the bible mean is "Don't try to draw god because we have no idea what it's supposed to look like, despite man apparently being made in its image".
2:03 I never even realized the entity was already there in the left hand corner, you're so focused on the girl and her speech that you don't pay attention to the surroundings, showing how silent this unidentifiable horror really is
I think that was just a reflection from the projector, there’s other lights that look similar in the same shot
1:48 It is appears after she touches the cross, longing to see what is described
@@Bunnie_Gutz thats true but if you look closely enough you can see the outline of the creatures body as well
exactly when you increase brightness and adjust exposure you can easily someone is there
@@Bunnie_GutzIt was the entity! In another shot near the beginning we can’t see anything in the left corner, but then the eyes start glowing
i love the part where you only see two faint glints in the projection, because it's cutting back and forth from the projection to the main character your eyes produce an afterimage, and if you've been looking at her eyes by the time the afterimage is produced, the afterimage of her outline lined up perfectly on the glints so before you even see anything your brain is trying to tell you something's there
That ending was perfect- no cheap jumpscare, no "boom" sound as we cut to black, just a silence that speaks for itself as it ends. I wish other horror directors had this level of restraint!
The light at the end was beautiful but it felt like angler fish at least that’s what I felt.
Absolutely well done! I was so impressed i got my phone out to write this and gives a thumbs up. Excellent!!
@@dead_slime1915 thats what my first thought was also.
I agree. The whole film hinges on the difference between the audience's expectations and what actually unfolds.
@@dead_slime1915 I perceived the Light as the Holy Spirit, which is why she smiled at the end, because she was filled with it during that scene
i swear to god, some short youtube horror movies are better and have more meaning than a lot of whole horror movies. good job.
I see what you did there mate. I know right? Like Jesus CHRIST this is amazing
swear to who?
Just weird
@@moonchaser3207 he's making a joke clearly, given that god is the monster in the video this comment section is a part of.
You sure you wanna swear to god?
“It is a fearful thing to fall into hands of the living god!” The king in yellow R.Chambers. I love short stories and this was really deep
I think when it comes to horror, God and the divine are by far the most compelling focus. There's so much eeriness and dread around death, and moreso, what lies beyond it. How little we know. There's also a lot of inherent pathos when it comes to the divine and god, but again, that's tied into our inherent fear of the unknown.
Without jumpscares, without gore, without screaming... you made one of the best horror movies/short films. congrats
Gore is fine but man jumpscares so insanely overused. When the music cut out after the projector screen was gone, there was no generic predictable loud jumpscare sound and that is wonderful
Some see God.Some see the god of this world and its system of things.
Feeling unsettling and creeped out is better than jumpscares and that's how you make horror content.
@@malte2483🤷😊
No jumpscares my butt
This is one of the only times "it was all in their head" actually hit for me. Probably because 1. it's not actually defined whether it WAS in her head or not, and 2. it fits the THEME of the painting being a "religious experience" and isn't just a cheap cop-out. It ADDS to the story rather than detracts from it.
I like this interpretation but they also did say that most of the descriptions matched, which implies that it might be god but idk tbh
I dont think it was just in her head, 1:59 look behind her to the left then again at 2:25 it's gone
@@mcfixer9503This is actually a rare case where it can go both ways. Given how different people seem to see the same figure in drastically different ways, it might be an objectively real entity that causes varying psychological effects. For some people, the experience is beautiful, for others it's unsettling and, for a select handful (including the protagonist), it leads to at least temporary psychosis.
God's already there at 1:48 before she even knows it's in the room with her unless her subconscious is doing a "oh he's behind me isn't he?" on her I guess?
pennywise deadlights
"no human being shall see me and live" is a lot less scary of a quote when u know they still made out after
We dont know what happened to her.
@@AzureDefiance3701 talking about the bible
@@AzureDefiance3701 unless you’re referring to Moses with she/her, which, valid
It takes A LOT to raise the hairs on my neck. Congratulations. This is the first film to do so for over 25 years.
Bro u need to search about this
"Cosmic Horror" that is so creepy
I love the small detail at 5:50 of "God"s hand touching her chin. The arm moves to her face while the figure itself doesn't move at all, and the hand comes from an angle that should be impossible given its positioning. Gives the impression that this entire surrounding of darkness IS the being, and the figure is just how it chooses to present itself
Yes I noticed that too! I thought perhaps there’s was a third figure there but besides the hand scene, I don’t get that impression.
Depending on how you want to read the opening of Genesis, that may not be too far off. "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was without shape and empty, and darkness was over the surface of the watery deep, but the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the water."
"Darkness was over the surface of the deep", "the Spirit of God was moving over the surface". Now you could say God was moving through the nothing, but you could equally say that the "spirit of god" *is* that darkness.
"God is nowhere yet he is everywhere" Thats the meaning, no one knows if god exists or how he looks like, because noone that lives can see him. So if he exists he can be right behind you or everywhere around you.
@@evuniu Yup, omnipresence.
I would not say that that thing was god. Much more that god cannot be seen as such painted by man (if i remember right the reason why this command is is because all statues or pictures of god are false idols because they cannot represent him). Instead the being was a demon meant to test the faithful, through praying for seeing the picture she became jelous, broke gods command and left the path of the righteous. As such the demon answered her prayer and showed here the picture of god in its mouth.
I would interpretate it as something akin to that the strongest believers are the easiest to fool if it is the believe in god or a person
This is how horror should be done... None of that jumpscare stuff and no gore... Just creepiness, just incomprehensibleness. Very tasteful yet terrifying. I love this...
Wait until you discover Lovecraft
@@HansFlamme Lovecraft is phenomenal, bought a huge book with all his stories in it,all of them equally amazing in their own ways🤯🤯
Cosmic horror
@@HansFlamme Don't worry I know Lovecraft xd. Also really cool, although I find that especially when people try doing it in film, it never works as well. Also, in Lovecrafts stories there is almost too much lore once you know most of his stories (Or watch videos of those that do), which kind of goes against that hole fear of the unknown thing. I absolutely love Lovecraft, but its this Genre in its infancy.
That being said, when listening to some of his works first-time... Amazing... Just tends to not work that well in film because big tentacle monsters are not incomprehensible, they are big tentacle monsters xd...
@@cachalotreal My favourite kind of horror
THIS, THIS IS THE KIND OF HORROR I WANT. The pure, psychological cosmic dread building and building. Not a single loud noise jumpscare, truly an expertly crafted piece of art.
It’s crazy how these CZcams short films are directed and edited better than Hollywood movies with big staff and hundreds of millions of dollar budget
This adds way more meaning to “Be not afraid”
"do not fear me" is repeated more times in the bible than "love god"
@@Imbettadenu Not really. God is as benevolent as He is creative and incomprehensible. He's one of the only deities I've heard of who offers complete absolution of any sin.
@@white_tulip2189 Probably because humans are inclined to fear things beyond understanding like that. I would say that the times "love the Lord your God" are said are said with more emphasis.
@@Imbettadenulol the bible IS true and there is no reason to think you’re “screwed”. It teaches love and forgiveness as it’s primary message :)
@@champion3760 LMAO thanks for the laugh.
Shoutout on this actress by the way, not easy to have yourself be the only actor in something, putting all that pressure of tension and delivery on you. She did great!
I liked this horror film immensely, but i couldn't see any fear and terror in the young actress' eyes, it's the one thing it has against it...
@@bryanmerberonio5245probably worked out, considered how she's supposed to be in awe of this "god"
She was amazing!!!
Yeah I don’t think she was supposed to feel terror but pure awe.
And she definitely seemed scared before seeing “it”
"Portrait of God" transcends not just as a horror film but as a cinematic masterpiece, captivating my senses in a way nothing has in the last decade and a half. The sheer brilliance of this short film left me astounded, making it unequivocally the single best piece of visual artistry I have ever witnessed. It's rare to encounter a film that stirs something deep within, but "Portrait of God" did exactly that, marking the first time I've truly felt anything in 15 years. What sets this film apart, significantly, is its masterful avoidance of jump scares, a technique overly relied upon in contemporary horror. Instead, it crafts suspense and terror from atmosphere, storytelling, and psychological depth. Each moment without a jump scare felt like a breath of fresh air, reaffirming the film's creative integrity and its commitment to genuine, unsettling horror. The absence of jump scares not once, not twice, but at least 15 separate times throughout the film demonstrates an unparalleled level of sophistication and understanding of what true horror is about. It's about building tension, about the unseen, about the dread of anticipation. The movie excels in creating an atmosphere of pure terror, particularly in the scene where the projector goes up. This moment, so brilliantly executed, sent shivers down my spine. It wasn't just the visuals but the implication of what was being revealed that was truly terrifying. And when the projector goes up again, the fear it instilled was profound, not because of cheap thrills, but because of the deep, existential horror it conveyed. The way the film played with the concept of divine imagery and belief without resorting to cliché jump scares was nothing short of genius. Each repetition of the absence of jump scares felt like a testament to the film's artistic integrity and its dedication to evoking fear through more substantial means. Moreover, the moment when the projector goes up remains etched in my memory for its pure, unadulterated horror. The anticipation leading up to it and the subsequent execution was a masterclass in horror filmmaking. The terror I felt was real, palpable, and it lingered long after the film had ended. It's a rare film that can boast such an achievement without once relying on the crutch of sudden shocks to elicit fear. In conclusion, "Portrait of God" is an unparalleled masterpiece in the realm of horror, redefining what it means to instill fear and awe. Its deliberate avoidance of jump scares, choosing instead to weave a tapestry of psychological terror and existential dread, is commendable. The scene where the projector goes up will forever be a hallmark of true horror, showcasing how fear can be evoked through atmosphere, anticipation, and the power of suggestion. This film has reignited my passion for cinema, reminding me of the profound impact that truly innovative storytelling can have. It's not just a film; it's an experience, one that I am profoundly grateful to have witnessed.
I don’t understand how you made a 7 minute short film that is better than every horror movie I’ve seen for the past 20 years. 👏
This is the type of horror that only a short film can capture. You couldn't make this into a movie, it's strength lies in its shortness.
Brevity is an unsung virtue
Yes, you could
Skills needed@@danielegarotti7884
Agreed
Much like my penis.
Holy shit this has the exact type of Lovecraftian horror I was hoping for. As soon as it started I had chills as the people described “God” it’s one of those things that you know you’re not supposed to see. Its incredible how it gave that feeling of perversion, like you’re looking at something you shouldn’t be. Perfection.
In a lot of religions, God's appearance is quite literally something you're physically unable to see. The guy's just a blinding beam of light you can't figure out any kind of shape from.
I loved this portrayal, but my visions of God are quite different. I don't see a singular entity, nor a singular representation. A storm doesn't need to explain itself. It destroys to create.. same as a black hole. What i see is the total of all emotion and cataclysmic creation in a fractal. It grinds and moves on itself in exquisite anquish.
@@atrocious_pr0xy This has always been my feeling as well. Also, our brains are designed with filters in place to prevent our senses from incorporating into our ‘reality hallucination’ entities so overwhelming, so complex, and so unnecessary to our day-to-day survival (hunting, gathering, mating, child-rearing, etc.). Most of us would cease to be able to function so long as they are confronted with a full scan of the ‘God system’. Most humans-indeed-would be traumatised for life, afterward. Like a computer virus, their brains would keep trying to understand what they perceived and lock itself into a recursive feedback loop.
Take it from a man who has been trying to part the ‘veil of Maya’ and peer past the ‘reality hallucination’ his entire life, beginning in his teens. I’m 40, now, and have used asceticism (sleep deprivation and fasting), prayer, meditation, hallucinogens/entheogens, and lucid dreaming-separately and in combinations, together. I’ve seen things; I’m even convinced I’ve seen and experienced things I was not meant to perceive. Yet, in 25 years of intense seeking, I have not perceived the Ultimate: the Whole Picture; the framework upon which the fabric of ‘reality’ is woven, nor that which does the weaving. Even with the aid of n, n-DMT I have at best encountered some of the ‘worker bee’-type entities who help manage this structure once it is manifested, but the true creative force remains a mystery.
This isn’t lovecraftian lol
I was reminded of The Colour Out Of Space at the end.
This is in my opinion the best short horror film on CZcams. It's a simple story yet so chilling and fascinating that you can't help but watch it over and over again. It's told in a perfect concise way and I'm pretty sure there's nothing you could add to make it better.
This is INCREDIBLE!!! I’m a film teacher and I use it as an example to my students as to how you can scare the crap out of someone without gore!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This comment made my day! Thanks so much.
You are part of the problem
i think at first it was truly unsettling but after seeing it overused in every movie, it stopped having that visceral feeling that it must've carried when movies first began putting things like that on rolls of film.@@TransferInProgress
Because you’re meant to think “What could do that? What WOULD do that?” It’s a bit overused in horror movies nowadays but a good gory jumpscare still can make or break a film.
@@TransferInProgress that's the purpose of gore
It's not supposed to scare you, it's supposed to make you uncomfortable
Omg when she restarts the presentation and we see *something* in the painting for the first time! And when she slowly lifts the projector screen and it stays there!! That was so so good.
When she's listening to the people describe it, look to her left at the darkness.
@@CitizynKing yesss I saw it too! spine-chilling
@@CitizynKing wow just now seen that after watching multiple times. Great catch. Very creepy detail. It was there the whole time.
Of course it's still there. Lifting the screen will not cause the image to disappear. It just gets projected on the wall.
@@DNTMEE yes of course, but you also see two faint glowy eyes that appeared that weren't there before.
By far, it's one of the best horror short or full run-time films I've ever watched. It is unsettling, not pretentious, with great acting, fantastic camera work, and everything needed for perfect horror. In my opinion, if anything more were added, this masterpiece would be ruined. The actress sells it, and the plot answers a question many have unwittingly asked, "What does god look like," now we wish we had never pondered the thought. ❤ Bravo! 🎉
I love horror movies and this gave me a level of dread I have not felt in ages. Amazing work! The lighting, the editing, the music, the horror. It works so well and is so creative! Kind of reminds me of "the image of an angel becomes itself an angel" from foctor who, but played for horror instead of as just a plot device
That was one of the best short horror films I've seen in recent times! The moment where the screen got rolled up but "God" was still there actually gave me chills.
Is that the projector on the wall, or is god not to be removed?
In sovjet russia, you remove god
In America god removes you....
Btw that film was terrific and disturbingly terrifying...
Uhh yeah, that’s how projectors work.
@@aderpypotato9270 not against dark lmao it has to be against the white of the screen to properly see the image. that why the fact the god thing show up after rolling it up is creepy as hell.
Truly, a "Bruh" moment.
Even better: it's behind her on her right when she's listening to the audio (viewer's left)
Now this is someone that understands horror. That slow-burn building of dread and terror, without resorting to cheap tricks for adrenaline spikes.
>Three tickets for me, my wife and my wife’s son for the newest A24-produced, genre-redefining, trope-subverting, atmospheric, dark and eerie, emotionally draining, gut wrenching, aesthetically heavy craft by post-horror auteur with an arthouse edge, dread-inducing, suspenseful build up with strong character development and gradual feeling of escalation, bone-chilling slow burn with “say more with less” approach and soul-shaking, blood-curdling, skin-crawling and nerve-wracking exercise in persistently looming dread where tension and anxiety permeates every frame as movie reaches its nail-biting, jaw-clenching and paranoia-inducing final climax, free of any cheap gore, cartoonish CGI or infantile jumpscares horror film, please. I chortle sensibly at such cliches!
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@@bitshox1215 ID'd
@@bitshox1215 as soon as I read, “Slow burn” I knew someone would slap this copypasta in here 😂
“What have I been worshipping…this entire time?”
Hello, my fellow Pastra-ite 😂
Honestly God painting their nails is an absolute slay 💅
that’s meant to be a ghost’s hand. not God’s.
@@augustundergroundsmordum said who?
@@Susanoo449 read it in a description about the movie, ill link it if u want
@@augustundergroundsmordum no problem then
Don't mock our god
Biblical themes are ripe for excellent horror, but most movies fall woefully short in execution. This short hits the mark with bonechilling excellence. Wonderfully done.
Yeah they usually tend to cringy visuals instead rather than eerie ones wich in my opinion work way better for religion themed horror
The Bible is full of unsettling themes and imagery. The very idea that God watches you and can send you to eternal damnation is horrifying.
@@abstract5249one of the scariest things for me is complete loss of control and nothing seizes your ability to control things than a religion that imposes a "destiny". If we are all just gods plan than we are all just pawns on a chess board living under someone else's will
666 liked omg
"Be not afraid" and the proceeds to show up in the scariest form possible
Fun fact the angels in the Bible that said “be not afraid” are known as Ophanim and they are described as looking absolutely horrifying. This is why they say this because they have good intentions with the message they carry.
I mean, someone wouldn't have to declare "BE NOT AFRAID" if they looked normal
@@samdaley8484bro this shit had me dead 😂😂
This is the definition of real, raw, bone numbing, hardcore horror! OMG! Watched this in the middle of the night and could hardly get up from my seat. Absolutely wonderful!
I seen this on jackspeticeye's channel but came here to give it another watch with out the commentary. this is one of my new favorite short films, i could watch a whole movie with this premise. great work!
There needs to be more horror like this, i'm sick of the generic ghost horror stories with a cliché backstory that's spoon-fed to the viewer. Sometimes I want to be left with more questions than answers.
Exactly! That's exactly what makes horror good: the unknown
Have you watched "Disappearance" by Klenhard?
Welcome to cosmic horror, my friend
Tired of children imaginery friend also?
Watch Martyrs,the ending is exactly like this
This gives real “Stare too long into the abyss and the abyss will stare back” Vibes also the subtle “she’s walking backwards but not moving out of the light” so good
Regular horror movie gore and jumpscares just kinda make me laugh, but this gave me chills! This is so good!!!
More like looking into infinity, into the whole of creation and the all of it, looking back at you.
Hopefully, with love.
Hopefully lol
That's not at all what that quote means..
perfect quote for this film
@@SS-hd5jx No-- it isn't. That's not what that quote means.
I am the abyss
That was one of the most phenomenal short films I've ever seen and I don't know if I'll ever stop talking about it!
Part of me would love to see a full-length film, but part of me would worry that a producer or producers would want needless exposition and definitive answers to questions that don't have answers. Still, this was brilliant!!!
Wow, just Wow! After watching so many "okay" shorts I am really impressed by this one. Great story, great filming and great editing.
Jesus... this is the first time I've watched a horror short on CZcams and felt *genuine* chills. No jumpscares, no loud noises, just this... disturbing, uncomfortable feeling. And the fact we never get a fully clear view of "God", at most seeing a blurred view.
And.. she's been staring, without blinking for 3 hours straight. The world record is 1 hour 17 minutes (Paolo Ballesteros, set the record on live TV).
Hoo-woooohw!
Jumpscare is cheap horror, true horror is from what's unsettling, confusing, unpredictable, hope draining and unexplainable.. if a horror movie can carry these themes with a disturbing undertone then it can easily beat 95% of all the horror movies in the market
Btw, do checkout Mandela's catalogue and the other side of the box, they're aso CZcams short movies that has same kind of content and trust me when I say it's definitely unsettling
@@nickeni3050 Oh I know about Mandela Catalogue. I couldn't really get into that due to the extended universe thing it's trying to do, but I still applaud it's quality and effort.
There's a reason I love Korean and Japanese Horror, they're exactly as you described: Unsettling, Unpredictable and Unexplainable. That's why I recommend mostly Korean Horror movies to people, such as The Wailing and others.
I knew that shit was about to move I couldn't watch😂
I thought she was standing there for 3 whole days.
I just realised something after a long while. In the first few shots before he shows up on the screen, he's already there. In the back. To the left of the main character. Gave me incredible goosebumps realising he's already there even though he shows up later too.
1:49 oh shit, you are right
@shira158 wow u barley see em
Worse than then him being behind the slideshow when u notice em
I just posted a comment referencing this, too! At 1:54, he's there, then it cuts to the projector, then back to her, and he's gone.
Whereeee??
@@angierodriguez595 in the top left corner. You can see the eyes
tbh it is your best work yet. Remains is great too but this one is special in all the ways. Thrilling, breathtaking and dreadful at the same time. Wish you all the best. I'm a big fan of stuff like this.
Wow! Unbelievable. Just amazing! I never leave comments, but I had to just quickly say well done!
This was by far the best short horror film I’ve ever seen. And the detail at the end showing she’s been standing there for 3 days… damn! A perfect ending to a perfect film. There is not one criticism I could ever think of. Incredible! ❤
Her smile at the end gives me the most uncanny sense of hope that I can’t help but love
Why did she smile tho
@@ahmedman8078 because she saw God
As can be seen when the being opens its mouth, the girl's eyes gradually light up more, which suggests that the being brought its mouth closer to her. Possibly to devour it, see how much it opened its mouth when making contact with it.
@@ahmedman8078 she smiled because her temptation in wanting to know what god actually looked like was granted, thus she felt satisfied. And yes, when I said "satisfied", I meant it in a sexual way, as the creepy being pulled her chin towards its light while she resist the urge (temptation) to look away.
@@Evil_Beauty wtf it has nothing to do sexually. Pleasure goes beyond just sexual ramifications, she was satisfied that she saw what she interpreted as God
Ima be honest, I did watch this over at cory's, but man this is a work of art. This was executed with perfection, cause I actually don't know what could've been done better. My dearest Respect Dylen, you are a master at what you're doing.
Cory’s
Likewise
No same I watched it from Cory and I am flabbergasted 😱 THIS NEEDS TO BE A MOVIE or something because like… bro I have no words😭 it was sooo good
Same
Same! And I was so impressed I *had* to come leave a comment!!
Amazingly well done. Gives me similar vibes to The King in Yellow, what with how reading that play always drives the reader insane. It seems this portraits acts in a similar way, and the way you built up the tension made it absolutely terrifying without any cheap jumpscares.
Easily the most unsettling thing ive ever seen with no leading effects or trickery. Well done!
Does anyone else notice that the entity is standing in the darkness on the left side of the screen when she is listening to the audio? I absolutely love this short!!!
Uh oh… I don’t see it…
@@georgeofhamilton At 1:50 on the left
Great spot!
:-)
Oh f...
@@krealys.-.5153 Thanks.
It really sticks out to me that of all the interviewees, the old man, who is utterly moved by the subject of the painting, is the most predominant voice, and how that contrasts with the protagonist, who at first sees the same things in the same detail with a sense of horror. “It’s beautiful” being the last words of the montage and her last expression showing tearful awe feels intentional. Either way, it was brilliantly done: the girl's “I don't like it” before “It's beautiful..." really stands out.
old man :> :> :> #ilovethemovieup
Reminds me of Bird Box how the mentally broken considered the entities beautiful. Unsettling and awesomely done!
@@lianhorvat5744terrible movie dont compare that shit to this
You've incredibly captured what mystical experiences men such as Ezekiel, Gideon, Abraham, Moses, Joseph, and John witnessed upon viewing the messengers of or messages from God. Tackling the incomprehensible through horror is very hard to pull off. I think you pulled off more in less than 10 minutes than Hollywood horror directors and writers do in 90 minutes or more.
There is a big difference between a cheap jumpscare and genuine dread. This one hits hard. Great work!
As a hindu myself...i find this short film quite magnificent and interesting...its shows how less we know about our own stuff...even though my religious beliefs are different but still you can't deny that we all are living in unknown 🙏🏻❤️
Great touch at 6:28. This could be interpreted as Mia simply gripping her cross too tightly due to the stress of the experience (which is possibly in her head), causing her hand to bleed. But if you interpret this video as Mia truly receiving a visitation from God, the bleeding hand is a "stigma", a divine mark which corresponds to a wound inflicted upon Jesus during the crucifixion. It's a mystical phenomenon alleged to have occurred occasionally throughout the history of Christian faith among holy men and women, and is taken to represent closeness to God through sharing in Christ's suffering. Interpret it as you will.
I interpret it as very telling that blood and suffering are symbols of their god.
@@kamikeserpentail3778 The way you say it sounds metal as fuck
Can I ask, taking it literally, is that creature meant to be God or something pretending to be God?
@@vertigo2894 thats interpretation i got while watching this. I think he tried to show hit true form when opened mouth and revealed light. These "reek guy" is like form that we can process without descending into madness, like girl in the video
@@Antrodax It still doesn't make any sense, why not show himself in human form then? The video must be saying that that is his true form in some way? The big eyes and alien type head
this is exactly the type of horror i love. it’s short but incredibly effective at what it’s trying to do. i also love religious horror and this is maybe the best take on it i’ve seen! what an amazing film!!
Only recently watched this but gotta say I love it! I’ve recommended to all my horror nerds and have since watched all your shorts 👏👏 awesome stuff can’t wait for the next one
I cannot overstate how necessary this style and ingenuity is in horror, or in storytelling. You were subtle in all the right places, didn’t show too much. You have a brilliant score, gorgeous shots, and excellent design. Thank you for making art. Keep it up.
I think the green finger nails where a tad bit too much, but it was a marvelous watch nonetheless.
This reminds me of a quote from another horror film, or rather a series, The Mandela Catalogue. A quote from a praying book of sorts where it says: "Who have i been praying to all this time?". I think that summs upp both The Mandela Catalogue and this pretty well.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but what do we have to witness when beauty looks back? What’s the beauty that’s sits within that eye?
the detail they made of placing him at the beginning of the film in the corner of the room, making it clear that even if you don't see him, he is always there, sounds terrifyingly beautiful to me, this short is pure art, and has a way of terror that gives me chills.
Can you tell me at what time do we see him in the corner? I can’t find it
@@OCHY.. 1:45 at the left corner
@@aduartenog8808 omg thanks i see it now
@@OCHY.. minute 1:45, you can see his two white eyes in the corner.
It was more like at 1:49
Or at least when I saw it
But his like omniscient omnipresent só It makes sense
Ok wtf!? Never before has any horror media ticked literally ALL of my boxes! The little dots of eyes, the subtle and missable appearance near the start, the lack of jumpscares replaced with a constant sense of discomfort AND it's based around God being something so unbelievably dark and so unbelievably horrifying! I BEG that you make more of this PLEASE!!
Oh my god that was terrifying. Incredible work. I'm a professional film composer and I really have to commend whoever wrote the score for this as well. The score is the glue that holds the horror elements together in this style of film, and damn does it work well!
No fast jumpscares, no gore, no brutality but a such a deep and sort of profound oozing horror which makes you feeling very uncomfortable when watching and difficult to release yourself after this 7 minute experience. The perfomance, the visual mood and the low frequence score: A truely remarkable composition of all the people involved in it. Kudos!
I mean there was a little blood at the end
The slow draw of the projector screen revealing the outline remains was more unsettling than any jumpscare. The slight jerk of the head to make eye contact, so well done.
@@peterkim3370 but a little blood isn't counted as gore.
The part where the camera switches from the white silhouette of the girl to the dark canvas in the background, tricking your eyes to feel like there is something on there is absolutely brilliant. Feels so interactive, can't believe one can think of doing something like that. Great job!
Time stamp
Ooo I know right! Every time the camera was on her I got a little spooked thinking someone was behind her but it was just the data box lights!!
@@zekprit4376Look closer
Everything is perfect. The music, the lighting, her acting, the story. This is as good as it gets. Less is more !
I have to say, this was some how the most beautiful film I have ever watched. I know it’s weird but I had a tear. Like it spoke to me. Thank you for making this.
This is real horror. No cheap jumpscares and an original concept
My favourite thing about this is that the “god” is not portrayed as demonic or monstrous or evil. It’s an alien figure that doesn’t do anything malicious. Simply causes awe and discomfort. That’s how I image the true god to be as well.
Yes, theres some things that doesn't constitute evil, but we as humans born and raised in a life full of movies and entertainment based on things that we stabilished to be scary.
Like a skinny/pale figure, unsettling open smiles, bright eyes and a mix of all these ones.
Uncanny Valley plays a huge part on it too.
❤
Indeed
you simple minded people fail to comprehend the fact that god has no "body" of any sorts and doesn't "look" like anything. god is simply the totality of everything in reality, or more simply - infinity. thats all god is. the faceless centre of creation. as above, so below.
edit: i think you are confusing "god" (the essence of creation) with a type V civilization alien member.
It's very demonic
I love how we never really get to see "god" fully. He's always vauge and dim, shrouded in darkness and making it impossible to get a good look at him. This way the short avoids the problem of when you finally see the monster it becomes less scary, because their so much darkness and vaugness about it's appearance your brain has to fill in the gaps.
This is literally the best kind of horror, I wish movies were like this. Absolutely no jump scares at all, which ruins a horror movie. Darkness that you can see a small silhouette of something that’s there but can’t fully tell. Incredible short. Loved it
That was so perfect every detail from the rooms always being dark to realising she had been staring for hours rather than physically experiencing the events giving heaps of relation to the audios where people say it’s terrifying and then the man saying it’s beautiful. amazing
Days, not hours
BLASPHEMY!!!
@@crimsoncuttlefish8842 no, it’s hours. It goes hours:minutes:seconds:milliseconds.
I should have noticed this. I saw the timer and thought it meant that she had been standing there for three minutes.
That was masterful storytelling and filming!! Some of the best 7 minutes of youtube!
I gotta say you did everything perfect. I’m so sick of cheap jump scares and I am sad to say I expected one to ruin it. But this is what horror needs to be. I expected it to end after she lifted the screen but it surprisingly kept the perfect momentum and made me want more. You did an excellent job with this and have insane talent. Breath of fresh air. Fantastic work
my favourite short horror film ever, i love all of it but the ending is the best part in my opinion. the teary eyes from not blinking, the bloody hand from holding the necklace so hard, the timer that tells us she’s been standing staring at a (supposedly) blank screen for over three hours like she sees something that we don’t. what a brilliant work of horror media
I think it's actually three days and three hours.
@@etsequentia6765it’s definitely 3 hours 3 mins
@@etsequentia6765it’s 3 hours and 3 minutes, the stopwatch measures milliseconds, seconds, minutes, and hours
@@etsequentia6765No. It's most definetely not. The rightmost number is 1/100ths of a second, the one left of that is seconds, and the one left of that is minutes. Meaning that the leftmost number is obviously hours.
@@etsequentia6765no
I love religious horror. I love how someone can take something thats relatively beutiful and make it so horrifying
I would put this under cosmic horror with religious overtones. She's not talking about a god, Jesus or anything with a surrounding dogma or traditions.
@@steakknivesShe’s literally wearing a cross wym
@@Gafafsg yup, I call that overtones. Just like I say a person can wear a cross to appear religious. We're all entitled to our interpretations right?
@@Gafafsg so would you classify the nun or the conjuring or the exorcist or exorcism of Emily rose as religious horrors just because there were nuns and fathers wearing crosses and casting out demons in the name of God?
Religion itself is horror.
EPIC! What a great job with this amazing concept!!! Way to go. Definitely deserves all the recognition and praise it's getting. Keep going!!!
Very nice work, really the kind of subtle horror that gets under your skin, this is the first thing I've watched in a while that actually freaked me out!
I love a good bone chilling moment, and yet they are difficult to come by in movies and shorts. But this has one! The moment that projector goes up but the visage of "God" remains... sheesh! Shivers.
The projector is behind her. The thing going up is the projection screen.
@@CptApplestrudl I actually think they just simply let the projector project the image in the surface behind the screen.
Does nobody in these comments know how projectors work? It's not like it goes up with the screen - it would just be projecting behind it. lol
Why is god in question marks? Also why do you and 1.5K other people not know the difference between a projector and the screen 🤦🏻♂️ I lose more and more faith in Christians each day
Bing chhiling
Fantastic, this is how horror should be. No overt gore or jumpscares just a creepy premise that is kept mysterious and topped off with an amazing twist ending.
The fear of unknown yet currently present things. Does anyone know what that is? I feel that when I watch this.
@@ryaneaston3487 could be a type of cosmic horror
@@bidoofmania to think that this about the being who is in all things makes it even more…(loses mind and spazzes out)
it has been said here before but bears repeating. this is an amazing effort in restraint. no need for gore/jump scare. still absolutely chilling
I can't describe the chills that this film gave me - horror movies are so disappointing anymore and this was so much redemption so quickly!!!! this is unsettling in all the right ways - THANK YOU!!! (it's on my bucket list to play a villain in a horror role if you're ever looking for a tattooed bald guy 😜) stay noizy my friend 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻
I watched it for the first time, it was very creepy and eerie and I loved it. I watched it a second time, and noticed more details than the first. Once she starts the slideshow, before she sees "the portrait of god" on the left side in the darkness of the background, you can 100% entirely see the figure standing behind her in the corner staring at her standing up. There is a handprint smudged on the glass of the room behind her, and when she restarts the presentation the second time and rapidly clicks back through the slides, you can 100% see the figure in the slide as she backs through them, only for a split second, but very clearly.
So many fine, creepy, chill giving details. The fact that the short clip was scary the first time, and scarier the second, with more details prominent because your eyes and brain already know what will happen and therefore race across the screen trying to absorb more detail, you notice more detail. It's hard to put into words, but you are truly amazing and were able to capture and manifest an overlooked detail and fact of the brain wanting to absorb more detail. You managed to give me the chills in this clip, something I don't get from horror movies anymore. You will be an amazing director or screenwriter if that is your career path, and I hope you do follow this passion.
Haha when I read this I thought to myself, "nahhh no way! I would have noticed the figure standing right next to her in the corner!" Then I rewatched it and felt salty. Totally saw those glowing eyes! Hahah loved it! Thanks for those details 😅
Noticed all this stuff one my first viewing of it,and thought I was the only one seeing it cause no one else had commented about all the things happening behind her👌
I am too paranoid and noticed the glowing eyes & the handprint in the first viewing as well. I thought god was already in for the visit while she was asking 'what do you see?' What an amazing film.
Another scary thing is that after she “leaves” the presentation room you can sometimes see a giant face behind her in the dark
If you put your brightness up you’”” be able to see the eyes, the left has an obvious eye socket and glowing pupil while the right is just the socket
The acting, the score, the vfx... the quality is out of this world! It's unbelievable how you do it. I've been intrigued with this channel ever since I watched 'transfigure'. Keep em' coming, Dylan, all the best to you and your team!
I really appreciate it! So glad to hear you enjoyed it that much.
@@dylanclark bro this short film was absolutely amazing, captivating, entrancing, intriguing and I genuinely LOVED IT. Plz keep it up. Much love bro.
@@dylanclark it reminds me of scp096
@@dylanclark will there ever be a part 2
@@lonewillayat7273 there may be something more here… we’ll have to wait and see!
THANK YOU RECOMMENDATIONS! I have been trying to find this one again for so long D:
It's so damn well made and stand at the top of "Unsettling" Horror for me
It’s not like i needed my sleep tonight. Honestly, well done. I’ve not felt shit about horror in recent years. This made me almost shat myself. Honestly hope you are working in film, as a producer, effectsmaker. Anything. This was some next level stuff
Holy shit, as an avid horror fan, this is literally the scariest thing I've seen in years. A seven minute short film. Absolutely astounding work.
Bro wtf are you on about this has got to be one of the least scary things I’ve seen. That episode of spongebob where he got on the wrong bus was scarier
@@UltimateXPranks If religion doesn't scare you, idk what else to say man.
@@wisdomwielder what -_- hows that even remotely scary?
@@UltimateXPranks the ideia of superior being that instils it's values into the world he created, and If you deviate from then you go to suffer eternaly with no chance of redemption
I cant *pth* understand *pth* your accent! *pth*
Since everyone has already commented on the absolute perfect horror this elicits, I'd like to compliment the color palette of this, how it's such a simple black and white with a beautiful teal, it turns eerie and sickly, captivating the nauseating feeling of dread and fear- brilliant choices!
I think it's done so that her reality space echoes the painting.
yes i love the colour of the door
I think the lighting alongside the color palette really adds to the dread too!
Wow, truly an incredible short film. Expertly crafted tension and a stellar performance from Sydney!
Everytime I encountered Elevated Horror as somewhat a horror subgenre, this is exactly what an elevated horror is about. That horror that it gives with no jumpscare but simply touch your human senses with its atmosphere, soundtrack, story and an outstanding acting! Neon or A24 produce this guy's work already!
Such a cool premise, seeing thing we weren’t meant to see. Me personally I love cosmic horror so my opinion might be a bit biased but this is definitely the best horror short on this platform in my opinion. Hope you make more videos cause this was just incredible
Thank you so much! I love cosmic horror so I really appreciate this.
Theres a reason why God didn't want you to see him because he's biblically accurate as well
Can I ask, taking it literally, is that creature meant to be God or something pretending to be God?
@jb There is a quote which says his face can't be seen or you will die instantly, probably even more eldritch looking than the angels
@@Caedyst But she did see his face, and she just seems to be in a trance, not dead. Besides, since we all saw what she saw, it wasn't crazy enough to make anyone insane.
Omg man, this horror short was perfect!
No clichés, no cheap jumpscare, and the horror short is intriguing throughout the entire video.
Congratulations, this horror short is amazing!
>Three tickets for me, my wife and my wife’s son for the newest A24-produced, genre-redefining, trope-subverting, atmospheric, dark and eerie, emotionally draining, gut wrenching, aesthetically heavy craft by post-horror auteur with an arthouse edge, dread-inducing, suspenseful build up with strong character development and gradual feeling of escalation, bone-chilling slow burn with “say more with less” approach and soul-shaking, blood-curdling, skin-crawling and nerve-wracking exercise in persistently looming dread where tension and anxiety permeates every frame as movie reaches its nail-biting, jaw-clenching and paranoia-inducing final climax, free of any cheap gore, cartoonish CGI or infantile jumpscares horror film, please. I chortle sensibly at such cliches!
:-0
@@bitshox1215💀💀💀
I don't usually comment videos, but I'm compelled to after seeing yours.
Making a short film is a rather difficult exercise, despite what most people think. But hell, you got it right and that's an amazing job, from the title I saw in the front page to the end. The story is appealing, and reminds me John Carpenter's Cigarette Burns which share a similar theme (a mysterious piece of art that affects deeply anybody watching it).
Very, very well made, bravo my friend.
I never thought one of my favorite films would be 7 fucking minutes long. An absolute masterclass in cosmic horror and a brilliant showcase for why less is always more. This seriously challenges some of my favorite pieces of horror cinema. You should be goddamn proud of yourself.
From one horror director to another - this is superb work man! Really fresh and really scary! You're a talent!
Thanks so much Morten! Just checked out Antikk and really, really enjoyed it. Always nice to get comments from other creatives!
@@dylanclark Thanks a lot! Much appreciated! Yes, it’s so important to compliment and acknowledge great work when you come across it. And your film really stood out to me. So thanks for the inspiration and can’t wait to see more stuff from you in the future:)
the creepiness of this short movie is unmatched. The sheer timing of the music , the environment setting and the buildup is enough to give you the chills, no jumpscares required at all. This short film deserves way way more views.
It's an alright short movie but the diner scene from Muhulland Drive is better.
@@candycommander yeah that part scared the soul out of me
@@antiskyze ikr lol
Wow just great how you put it all together and the way you left the idea of the movie to the viewers like wow hands down good
Such a great final shot. Really enjoyed this!
When the screen rolls up and you realize that the things is actually in the room with her? Spectacular. That moment really sent chills down my spine.
You can see the thing on her right ( or your left ) at 1:48 :)
@@ZeusTheMatti is that also it next to the projector light?
God was always there, since the beggining
I was confused cause I though it was simply a white sheet for a projector being rolled up and not an actual white board screen.
The scare certainly got me.