WATCHER (Award Winning Horror Short Film)
Vložit
- čas přidán 9. 03. 2023
- After a bank heist goes awry, a group of four ex-military thieves find shelter in the woods overnight while en route to the Canadian border. Unfortunately for the team, an invisible malicious spirit has begun a hunt...for them.
Accolades:
Official Selection - FilmQuest 2022
Official Selection - Kevin Smith's Smodcastle Film Festival 2022
Official Selection - Catalina Film Festival 2022
Official Selection - Pasadena Film Festival 2022
Official Selection - Sherman Oak Film Festival 2022
WINNER -
Filmmakers Award - Sherman Oaks Film Festival 2022
Outstanding Short Film (Horror), Outstanding Screenplay (Horror)
Outstanding Performance, Individual (Horror) Soren McVay
NOMINATED - Outstanding US/Canadian Short - Buffalo Dreams Film Festival 2022
NOMINATED - Best Director - Pasadena International Film Festival 2022
NOMINATED - Best Short Film - Pasadena International Film Festival 2022
NOMINATED - Best Ensemble Cast - Oregon Screams FIlm Festival Fall 2022
NOMINATED - Best Cinematography - Austin After Dark Fall 2022
NOMINATED - Best Actor - Kristian Lugo - FANtastic Horror Film Festival 2022
NOMINATED - Best Actress - Gracie Lacey - FANtastic Horror Film Festival 2022
Executive Producer, Director, Writer & Editor: Alan "Poe" Sanchez
Executive Producer: Soren McVay
Producer: Gracie Lacey
Music By: Alexander Arntzen
Starring:
Soren McVay
Kristian Lugo
Gracie Lacey
Jimilee Allen
and Danielle Dallas Roosa
Director of Photography: Ryan Sadler
Special Efx Supervisor: Kenneth Calhoun
Prop Master: Drea Monzon
Sound Mixer: Anthony Paredes
Definitely the best I have seen!! Great story. Great actors. Great directing. Great editing. I absolutely loved this from start to finish!!
Glad you enjoyed it! Was a long two years making this independently but am happy with the reactions!
THIS WAS F-ING AWESOME!!!!!
This was well done
They ended up in a place where
an entity stalks humanity.
I knew once the sound of the cicadas stopped?
Nature was telling you
to retreat from that spot.
This was as scary as it gets!
Thanks for the scare ride!
Very well done! This deserves to be made into a full length film 🎞️
This was good. Very creepy moments and the 2 actresses that made it to the end did an awesome job. If it's ever made in to a full length movie, they must reprise their roles. Keep up the great work😢.
It isn't a low cost short horror movie. If I want to see everyone to die, I can watch an Alien's movie. An invisible hunter/predator ? Well, an easy synopsis to explain this multi-kill.
Anyway the making is really good & no reproach can be done on this point. Thanks for sharing your work !
The opening scene is already so intense. The camera work and music portray the adrenaline rush (slight panic?) they felt after the robbery. Wow! Fantastic all the way through!
For real this needs to be in theaters.
Well this so fantastic. ❤❤
Yo Poe... Keep doing what you're doing bro. Depression can be like living in a dark cave and or wearing an old wool blanket. In a weird way it can make one feel safe for a while (as one gets used to feeling down) and then can turn on a dime and engulf anything that comes close to.
Life is to be lived. 😎🤙
She suvived because she was unselfish.
The Watcher is always watching....😮
Definitely see why it won awards. Great film overall. What the hell is the watcher? I don’t think it’s a who. I hope if this gets turned into a feature length film, the original cast returns. Well, two of the original cast. Ha.
Keep the fingers crossed! Writing the feature at the moment and it’ll give more bread crumbs to answers to your questions. Glad you liked it! 🤘
@@AlanPoeFoSho fuck yes, dude. Good luck and hope to see it in the future!
Was the tree sapping people’s blood and parts through the air?
Watcher is someone who's watch someone or something and for sure is Pervertedly oriented maybe also S/M consumer and huge lover off ruff & tuff & muff loveplayinggames
The watcher is a lost predator alien?
Glad I happened upon this, great short example of what you can do! I'm gonna be looking for your name. I know I'm gonna be seeing more of you, Poe! You found good actors, the script was compact, efficient and wasted no time, great use of no or low-cost scenery that enhanced and paid off (for the time allowed) and the music is phenomenal, feels much like a big-studio project. Good luck on your imminent success. I'm gonna try and share this with as many as possible!
Thank you so much for the kind words Jane! Really appreciate them. It took two years to get this made (from saving to making sure we did it right)but am so happy with the response to it! Have a few things cooking in the oven so we shall see what comes next!
Thank you for the time put into this. Some short horrors are so good clear answers are not needed. this definitely falls into that category! Sound was used to great effect, and the way the music was used to carry us through the one-by-one losses was really effective for me. Thank you again!
How the fuck does this have like 8 awards and only 1000 likes, this is easily one of the best horror shorts I've seen, not only in plot but in acting as well. Along with a progression that kept me on the edge of my seat until the end I believe it a federal crime that this does not have the exposure it deserves.
The best part is that we get to write the rest of the story with our imaginations. Like Stephen King, this writer knows that what's left unseen is the scariest thing imaginable. k
Thank you so much for the compliment. It was definitely intentional to leave a lot vague about what it is and let the imagination run wild for the audience 🤘
@@AlanPoeFoSho It was well done imo. I loved it...and I did tie up the loose ends in my imagination. I hope to see more of your work. Best of luck to you!
What did The Watcher tell her?!! 😮
Liked the breathing in the end credits
Wow. Short but beautiful story!
We absolutely have the right to take back what has been taken from us.
I wanted to hear what The Watcher said to her. 😢
You’ll find out in the feature film which is being written atm! :)
I'm not sure if I do.😥☹😱🥶
When? Please, please, please kind sir.
@@notme9816 in due time 🤘needs to finish being written first and hopefully we will get someone to pick it up!
@@AlanPoeFoSho wow I can’t wait. Thanks for the scares🥺🥹🥺🥹
If this Watcher only attacks evil or corrupt people, imagine what it would do in Washington DC!🤔
Now I am thinking about Joe Biden. lol
Gorgeous work, you guys. The acting was realistic. Like I can relate to the characters and their motivations. Also, interesting to observe how those who were killed seemed to have selfish purposes for their share of the loot. Well, except for Rider, we never found out what he wanted to do with his share, but he seemed to be the meanest one of the four.
That aside, it might not be anything, but I feel like the Watcher spared the last woman possibly because she had the least selfish reason for robbing the bank. I mean, crime is wrong no matter what, but I get why she was desperate enough to do it.
The Watcher seemed to be a gigantic invisible being. It seemed physical based on the fact it had loud heavy footsteps, and a serious asthma problem. :P
Either way, this was an interesting watch. I'll be keeping my eye out for the sequel when it comes out.
Very spooky short. If the writer adds to it a bit at the beginning like showing the bank robbery gone wrong. And give some background of the woods. Have a couple of more people involved to be killed by the “ watcher “ . It would make a full size horror flick. It’s definitely got the vibe for it. For how short it was it kept you on toes. Liked it very much. It kind of reminds me of old spooky tales they tell around a camp fire. Or an old legend. Very good horror short.
Thank you! Yes all those are incorporated into the full length version of the movie. We couldn’t do the heist obviously for budget reasons but it will indeed be in the full length that I’m currently writing! Thanks for the kind words!
i get hooked when they remove the injured guy from the car. His screams and curses where pretty good
It was a little hard to believe that those 3 people (i dont count the though one) were military or did rob a bank (they seem too nice/soft people) (its not a bad think, i'm nice and soft, but also i'll never rob a bank or get into military) but the rest of the story and stuff get me going.
it was good
Very well done ! Would Love to see a full feature film come out of this giving more background on exactly what the watcher is and what was said to her. Obviously not just your typical murderous ghost . Can't see it but those hefty ground shaking foot steps say it's of giant proportion as well as seeming to have some kind of weaponry/hunting tools . I'm picturing some type of nature spirit that watches and waits for people of wicked , selfish thought/actions to cross its path being the only one of the 4 that pulled the robbery was the one that did it for the unselfish reason of saving her sister .
The watcher said "I killed these strangers because they were greedy. Now get that transplant for your sister."
So the kid gets the operation after all. Happy ending.
Is that cursed money now?
Proceeds for a Watcher church?
Maybe an old native American spirit.
I'm all. I really liked the movie. 👍
Ooooo very very close. It’s based on a few folk tales of forest spirits along with some Blair witch and a pinch of predator but great assumptions! Had to make a monster rule book on how it works which was fun to do! Glad you enjoyed it
Reminds me of the Hidden. Basically invisible man with special forces training.
What a great film...pacing and acting was great ....amazing what you can with a little imagination...well done guys ..one of my faviroute shorts ever 👍
Fantastic short film! Wow!
Good job gracie.
How much fun are those creaks & cracks when the first guy is found & begins to turn around , ya just gotta love those creepy sounds along with the crunches . Shame we never really see him or just what it did to him but when you hear those sounds it's never a good thing. As we never see this thing all we know is it's pissed & probably has tree breath as that's all we get so far. Well at least the one that really had use of her stolen cash made it out with her saver but if this becomes a full length film i do believe even if she was going to use that money for good it came from theft & who knows if they killed anyone in the robbery . I think this thing is not yet finished what it started. Nothing scary here but some fine atmosphere & much tension between the characters , lucky for them that tension is now history just like they are. I liked the short very much. As a monster geek i need more of this entity ..
Thanks dude for the kind words! Yeah the feature addresses the morals of each character ESPECIALLY with the heist and expands on the mystery of the short. My big influence of this film was the thing, resident evil (the game) and aliens. It’s more about the adrenaline and tension than say scares which you said perfectly. It’s a action horror film so I wanted to have a roller coaster ride feel! Like when it hits the fan, it won’t stop until the end. Seriously happy you enjoyed it! 🤘
@@AlanPoeFoSho Your more than welcome & though i don't play computer games I've been watching scary films since i was a kid in the 60s . I do love the Resident Evil films but my favorite stuff is Cosmic Horror as i read all of Lovecraft's & Delearths stories since i was in school. Your film has some of that feel with the tree which i loved. Thanks for the reply & keep up the good work.
Wow, this sure was exciting! I hope there'll be a feature length film some time in the future.
I wanted this to keep continuing..... Great Job to All...
Hopefully it will continue! Currently writing a feature film of it! *Fingers crossed*
Don't mess with evil tree spirits (now I will need to consult my 1st ed. D&D books: thanks :P).
So the Watcher is what exactly? Is it a Spirit, Alien, interdimensional being? Why kill these people in the first place, they are just unlucky or is there more? We need more information.
See comments below that has some answers. There’s a lot of hints of what it is in the film but it’s purposely left open ended for discussions 🤘also what’re your predictions on what it is!? Would love to hear them! Thanks for watching
Very well done! Had a Halloween vibe going there at the end. I remember a Thriller episode called The Hollow Watcher which reminds me a bit of this one.
What did the watcher tell her? Great Video
Crime doesn't pay
That was perfect
i'm a little bit dissapointed we never get tos see the creature, or what it does or how it kills. Sometimes its like shooting (the girl in the eye) but sometimes is like a machete (the guy's head). Also, what was it doing with the first dead? eating it? puppetering it? It was not clear for me, so it was harder to try to guess its motivations.
But anyways, sometimes mistery is funnier, so kudos nontheless
Good Story, Great Atmosphere
It's The Predator....
Super CREEPY. What IS The "Watcher" tho? A Cryptid? A Ghost? An Asthmatic Tree (aka Ent)? ... I WISH I knew..🤔😁
This deserves waaaaaay more likes! Honestly loved this
Nice short bud... Been writing since I was young. Always dreamed of seeing something of mine as a movie. Never really pursued it but maybe one day...
Do itttttt......!!!!
Amazing job!!! Loved it - super intense!!
Thanks Shannon! ❤🤘
what did it say to her?!? I'm invested enough into the story, which is good, that I HAVE to know!!!
Thanks for the kind words. The answer you’re looking for will be addressed in the full length that I’m currently writing. But there are hints as to what it was (very tiny hints but still haha) thanks for watching! 🤘
good stuff.
wow very good
Kept me on my feet, and I don't like horror but it was good
Revenge is a power saw or some kerosene.
I always thought ppl with asthma were dangerous
The most dangerous! Jk but the idea of that sound was what if the watcher was trying to mimic something human to lure ppl or prey in but couldn’t do it since it’s not? Like it’s missing a piece of its throat so it has that gnarly rasp to it. It was tricky to do since the watcher is 100 percent invisible to the naked eye so developing ideas to make it physical without relying on like a “invisible cloak” vfx was the biggest challenge but the most fun since it mostly involved playing with sound. If you watch with headphones you can hear the voice move around and it gives a hint at where the watcher is in the shot. 🤘
Also it was fun to stick my head in a closet to do the voice since my audio guy made a tiny homemade sound booth to VO before we drove to set on our last day. Indie filmmaking at its finest! lol also as a fan of Zach Hadel and Oney I wanted to do that voice similar to their weird breathing when they do their funny voices bits. thanks for watching.
Beautifully done.
Thank you! Appreciate it! 🤘
Eww, he’s watching meee😭
Great work and story telling :) - The night portions were nicely lit with the fire - except 2 or 3 scenes where my screen was completely black. I guess it was intended or may the fast lens. Keep going 😀 I also very recently made a horror film on the "Only Dutchman" channel.
Hey! Thanks for the kind words! Really appreciate them! 🤘 As for the completely black issue in your screen, I would say check your brightness levels in your tv or phone. The film is UHD so the dark levels tend to cater to that detail compared to say HD tvs lol that should fix the issue hopefully for ya since I had to do it in my phone since my phones screen brightness is usually auto set to low haha thanks again! And I’ll look into your project 🤘
@@AlanPoeFoSho Thanks :)
It was the trees..
The poem at first reminds me a lot of skinamarink plot🤔
It’s a homage to nightmare on elm street which had poem title cards in the beginning and I wanted the poem to reflect the watchers “sort of” backstory
Omg that was scary🥹🥺🥹🥺
Really nice production here!
Thank you! 🤘
Love that first long continuous shot.
I’m so happy you caught that! Seriously was one of my favorite things to plan and shoot with everyone!
that was really awesome!!! the breathing really creeped me out though 😂 but idk if she was not killed because she actually did all of that for someone else, so she was not greedy or another thing ? 🤔🤔
More of this ASAP.
That was *fantastic* !
Well worth all the awards. KUDOS!!!
Should cut down on those 40 a day! Nice and creepy, thanks
Interesting
I really liked it ... nice work ...
Thank you! Glad you liked it! 🤘
Spoiler:
Did it leave her alive because her intentions were selfless?
That was part of it yes! Think of it as an origin story of a folk tale. She was left alive as a warning but also what was in her heart/intentions. The feature is a little different with how the watcher operates but Cybil’s journey is the same in terms of doing something extreme to save her sister. 🤘thanks for watching!
@Alan "Poe" Sanchez I thoroughly enjoyed watching it. Watched it twice actually and put it on my playlist. 😂👍
It seems like the Watcher is more a guardian than mindless killer. Would love to see more with that character.
I loved it great story ❤❤
I'm wondering what happened to the money that they left behind?
She took the money. If you look at the final shot Cybil grabs the bag as the contact pulls her up to get her to safety.
I watched Alienated with Gracie Lacie, looked up what else she as done. She is in this as Zero. This was good. Basically Predator in 20 minutes, but a little different. Scarier really, it leaves it to your imagination, which is better than any special effects. Oh, worst line in movie history, in my opinion; I want to build my dream car, a Subaru.
Good1
Outstanding!
😍😍
The Predator?????
It's a pissed off Ent movie apparently.
Not an ent unfortunately but the bread crumbs hints are there! 🤘
But that does sound like a cool idea to do an ent horror movie. Like in the vein of pumpkin head would be cool!
What really kill them?
🔥🔥🔥
for a change at last a short horror movie where people actually fight the horror. Was getting a bit tired of only screams , heellpp and just die movies.
Yeah I was influenced by I guess “action horror” it’s influenced by Resident evil (the games), Predator, Blair witch, and the thing. Definitely more aimed at a fast paced ride experience than like a slasher :) thanks for catching on to that! 🤘
@@AlanPoeFoSho Agreed and acknowledged . Its relieving when we put up a fight along with our prayers., hope the lady finds her way in to a more comfortable life . ;)
That evil tree that's why we need to cut them all down and build casinos
FUCK FUCK FUCK!!! lol.....hehe
in the Depths was also VERY good.
ISN'T THE WATCHER ABOUT CREEPY 🏠🏡" THAT WAS" STALKING " FAMILY IN NEW JERSEY, YRS AGO???? THEY MOVED OUT FOR FEAR OF THEIR LIVES & KIDS AS WELL
I have no idea what you mean lol this is a short film.
🤘 *Promo SM*
Not to confuse this movie with Netflixes “The Watcher” which was perhaps the worst series this decade.
Yeah when I named the project there’s wasn’t any another stuff named watcher. we were bummed when we released this to festivals that there was a watcher feature film out at Sundance, another watcher short film, and the watcher series on Netflix all come out at the same time luckily the feature version of this short has a different name 🤘
@@AlanPoeFoSho and the witcher :)