In the news today we are constantly seeing new reports about our devices spying on us. Whether it is our Echo listening to our conversations to recommend us products or shadowy people tuning in to our computer cameras it is a real-world horror situation. With AlwaysListening director, Randy Gonzalez, delves into this subject with a twist, what if it isn’t just greed corporations or creepy people on the internet? Coming in at just over five minutes can he make us fear something fictitious more than the current terrors of the real world?

In our technology-based horror we begin with Luz, Fernanda Andrade, talking to her sister about her baby shower. During the conversation Luz brings up the idea of buying a polaroid camera for the party and her sister mentions seeing an ex-boyfriend neither of them have seen in years. Later in the night while Luz is on Facebook she see the ex-boyfriend as a recommended friend to add, an advertisement for a polaroid camera, and one for baby shower supplies. Seemly put off by the targeted advertisements she goes to bed and tries to shake off the whole situation. She is suddenly woken by her phone blaring her voice back at her and the computer playing back a past video chat with a mysterious creature in the background. 

While Always Listening is not a bad short by any means, it does fall into many horror cliches that just makes it feel generic and stale. When the devices come to life and start talking in her voice they are using sound clips that we have never heard from a conversation about how she hates sleeping alone and it makes her sometimes want to die. This would have been a great angle if the devices were used to hurt her mental health or self-image. In the end, this comes as a rushed concept and just feels like it would have benefited from a longer short.