Ted Morris (Shawn C. Phillips) has a notorious haunted doll. Her origins are murky, mysterious, and suspicious. Everything about Ted Morris is suspicious. He’s attending his son’s funeral when two criminals break in to steal the doll – thinking it’s a hoax and a good way to get some quick cash – but they have no idea what they’re in for.

At five minutes long, GENEVIEVE packs a powerful horror punch. The doll herself is unique and frightening, beautifully constructed by Christine Musser. The film itself is remarkably simple – shot with a single camera, POV-style, and mostly through darkness and quick movements. In fact, one of the most potent of GENEVIEVE’s scare tactics is how little you actually see.

I love seeing movies like GENEVIEVE make their way out into the world. Single-camera, a tiny crew, and simple concept. This is exactly what independent short films should be. In a new-media-centric world, where social media and video platforms are instantly accessible and seen by so many, films like GENEVIEVE can thrive – creating lore and a presence beyond what the film itself shows, or doesn’t. After watching the short itself I was directed to a 30-second teaser, sharing “The Story of Genevieve”, which reveals some of the nuances of the doll, and of Ted Morris. Something as simple as that can make a massive impact in the film world.

While the production of GENEVIEVE has a decidedly low budget feeling, I think the story and the doll herself are interesting and new enough to hopefully elicit more Genevieve content – whether that includes a feature or an anthology series on the doll, or just a social media presence. GENEVIEVE is both haunted and haunting and bound to live well into the afterlife.

GENEVIEVE drops on Amazon Prime July 15, 2020.

6/10 stars