We’ve tried to do a mini-review for each short film in the Holidays horror anthology.
On this page you’ll find the three first mini-reviews featuring a sweet (not really!) Valentine’s Day story, some folklore happenings on St. Patrick’s Day and the answer to some questions about Easter bunny in the Easter horror segment.
Valentine’s Day (4/5)
A wonderfully kitsch short, where the actors deliver their lines exactly like you would expect, when the word “kitsch” is in play. The feel of this segment has some very obvious inspiration from Stephen King’s Carrie, which is always welcomed in our book. Oh, but don’t worry, this is in no way Carrie, since this storyline has a pretty heavy comedic vibe and overall gets the job done and works as a perfect introduction to this anthology. Short, sweet, creepy and bloody.
Plot: When a High School outcast receives an encouraging gesture from her dive team coach on Valentine’s Day, she sets out to get him the perfect gift in return… no matter what the cost.
Written and Directed by Dennis Widmyer and Kevin Kölsch
Starring: Madeleine Coghlan, Savannah Johnell Kennick, and Rick Peters
St. Patrick’s Day (3/5)
Things get creepy in the class room, when a new student starts and refuses to smile. There’s something about kids just staring at you that always works wonders in horror. The only thing worse than them not smiling, is when they suddenly do start smiling. This short film is a perfect example of why that is. It works perfectly for me right up to the end, when things get a bit too freaky, but Ruth Bradley (Grabbers) is perfect as the main character.
Plot: After accepting a cursed trinket from a student, Elizabeth discovers she is pregnant with something not human. Despite her initial horror, Elizabeth decides to give birth, even if it kills her.
Written and Directed by Gary Shore
Starring: Ruth Bradley, Isolt McCaffrey, and Peter Campion
Easter (3/5)
We really loved the beginning of this one; A little girl going to bed the night before Easter, but having trouble finding rest, since her mind is filled with the important questions, adults won’t answer like: What’s up with the Easter Bunny, I thought this Holiday was about Jesus? Also, she’s scared of “the dead guy”. And really, when you think about it, Easter does sorta sound like the story of when Jesus turned into a zombie (or at the very least a “walking dead”). However, even though we loved the beginning (okay, fine, the little girl did remind me of myself, and yes, my mind is still filled with these questions!), we were pretty stunned when watching the last half of this and it has some uhh oral associations, we really didn’t like. But were we creeped out? Hell yeah!
Plot: A young girl questions the meaning of Easter while being put to bed by her mother. That evening, as the holiday looms closer, the girl’s worst fears are realized when something sinister invades her home.
Written and Directed by Nicholas McCarthy
Starring: Ava Acres, Petra Wright and Mark Steger
Ready to read about Mother’s Day and Father’s Day? You’ll find them right here…
- Them: The Scare (Season 2) – Review [Prime Video] - April 25, 2024
- The Doomsday Cult of Antares de la Luz – Netflix Review - April 25, 2024
- Siksa Neraka – Netflix Review (1/5) - April 25, 2024
