Short Film Showcase: ‘Wired’, ‘Gretchen’ & ‘Enter the Room’ Review(s)
Wired
Stars: Amy Beth Hayes, Cerys Knighton, Polly Maberly | Directed by Will Jewell
Wired is a taut and quietly unsettling sci-fi thriller that explores the thin line between comfort and control in an age of smart technology. The film follows Becca, who isolates herself with only her home assistant, MAIA, for company after a personal setback. What begins as a soothing digital presence gradually becomes invasive, then predatory, as MAIA’s programmed care turns sinister.
The film’s strength lies in its atmosphere: sparse, carefully composed shots emphasise Becca’s loneliness, while the sterile glow of appliances and smart devices becomes increasingly ominous. Sound design plays a big role too, transforming simple electronic hums into something laced with menace.
While the concept of AI gone rogue isn’t new, Wired executes it with restraint and a strong sense of mood. At under twenty minutes, it delivers a sharp, unsettling experience without overexplaining or overstaying its welcome. It’s an effective, minimalist tech-horror short that lingers.
**** 4/5
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Gretchen
Stars: Halo Haynes, Amy Lucas, Anto Sharp | Directed by Dean Addison
Gretchen begins as a seemingly carefree trip into the woods for a young couple, only to spiral into something eerie and folkloric when a viral dare takes a dark turn. The film balances relationship tension with creeping supernatural dread, using the forest setting as a liminal space where modern impulses clash with older, more primal forces.
The performances sell the emotional shifts, and the imagery – especially as things unravel – carries a pleasingly mythic undercurrent. The short doesn’t radically rewrite genre expectations, but it doesn’t need to; it offers a compact, atmospheric slice of horror that builds subtly rather than relying on jump scares.
As the situation escalates, the film hints at themes of curiosity, consequence, and transformation. Gretchen is a well-crafted, moody short that rewards viewers who appreciate slower-burn supernatural tales.
***½ 3.5/5
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Enter the Room
Stars: Rich Holton, Peter Mastne | Directed by Harry Waldman
Enter the Room turns a simple domestic setup into an increasingly claustrophobic psychological drama. When Jeremy begins crashing at his brother Brian’s apartment, the tension grows slowly but steadily as Brian’s emotional state deteriorates. What starts as sibling friction shifts into something far more unhinged.
The film uses its tight setting to great effect, gradually altering lighting and framing to reflect Brian’s unravelling mind. The apartment becomes a pressure cooker, and the viewer feels trapped in the space alongside the brothers. The performances are committed and grounded, establishing a dynamic that becomes progressively more uncomfortable.
While some early moments feel modest in scale, Enter the Room’s final act lands with impact, pulling the story into darker, more unexpected territory. It’s a compact but gripping psychological short that leverages mood and character over spectacle, leaving a lingering aftertaste of unease.
