“Swipe” is a word that has taken on a whole new meaning in the new millennium. Merriam-Webster defines the verb swipe as “to strike or wipe with a sweeping motion”, and includes an additional definition describing using the magnetic strip of a credit card. However, I’m sure for most of us, the word “swipe” correlates with dating apps. Swipe left, swipe right. It’s such a part of our cultural lexicon that some people even use it as slang for agreeing or disagreeing with something. Swipe is a word that denotes a whole experience – modern dating and social media apps.

SWIPE follows Grace (Ebony Obsidian) on her walk home after a busy day. She’s got her earbuds in her ear, she’s got a spring in her step, and she’s scrolling her dating app mindlessly to pass the time. Grace absentmindedly dismisses a few profiles, pausing just long enough on the last one to question the guy’s unattractive profile photo, before she puts her phone back in her pocket. Seconds later her phone dings – someone matched with her! But wait a second… that match is the guy she just declined… and now he has a new photo on his profile. Tension builds as the Grace tries desperately to unravel this disturbing glitch. Is it just bugs in the app, or is someone following her – and not just on social media, but in real life?

Ebony Obsidian gives a beautifully nuanced performance, through almost no dialogue and in only five or so minutes. Her progression of fear is visceral and tangible, and I found myself holding my breath for her all along the way. Beautiful cinematography (by Fletcher Wolfe) lays a perfect foundation and framework for this intimate thriller. Tension and suspense build fantastically from the very beginning to create a perfect short format film. So much so, that for my first time with HorrorBuzz, I’m giving SWIPE 10 out of 10 stars… a perfect horror score!