‘The Erl King’ Short Film Review
Stars: Lewis Hyman, Louise Elliker, Simon Victor | Written by Marison Suarez | Directed by Callum Windsor
Written by Marison Suarez and directed by Callum Windsor, this just-under-13-minute short film falls into the horror category and follows a boy named Alfie who, along with his father, was in an auto-accident. We see Alfie (Lewis Hyman) talking to his father, only there is nobody there. The story takes turns of ghosts and woodland monsters, nutcrackers and Christmas festivals. It’s almost abstract, and very surreal. With a cast that also includes Louise Elliker as Julia and Simon Victor as The Erl King, this is something unique, that’s for damn sure.
The performances are pretty good here, and the story itself keeps you on your toes, with each occurance feeling creepy or tense, an oddball atmosphere leaking from its pores. A psychological horror film that unfolds in less than thirteen short minutes, there’s something to be respected about that. It is immersively unnerving, a folklore horror with a mind-bending premise. I’ve seen quite a lot of short horror films, but this stands out. It is unlike anything I’ve previously seen in this form, and with the strong direction, acting work and cinematography, it manages to successfully tell a mythically haunting family-horror flick.
I sat considering the film for a while after it ended, something that I was surprised by. Available to watch on YouTube for free, this is well worth a little over ten minutes of your day. Made, apparently, on a mere £1,500 budget, horror fans may find something to really dig about this one.
***½ 3.5/5
The Erl King is available to watch on YouTube now.
