The reasons why certain phobias exist and manifest for someone can be complex and multi faceted. For some, having a fear over a certain place, activity, or item comes from personal trauma and experience. For others, it may live within us for unknown reasons, deeply rooted and insurmountable. In Dendrophobia, a short film written and directed by Junayed Alavi, one man’s fear of trees takes an alarming and psychological turn.

Starring Sayan Biswas, Arijit Saha, and Pradyumna Thakur, the film examines a man’s nagging, tormenting fear of trees (classified as “Dendrophobia,” hence the title), and how, like gnarled, twisted branches, it begins to envelop every aspect of his world. 

Despite a runtime of just over nine minutes, this is a quiet, slow burn of a tale that doesn’t rush to its conclusion.  There’s very little dialogue, relying more on the emotional reactions of the actors to tell the story. The editing is crisp, and lingers on a scene just long enough for the viewer to question what it is that they’re experiencing. Even so, there are moments where the pace lags and it feels as though not much is going on.  

Conceptually, this is an interesting take on fear, and what it can mean for an individual. Dendrophobia doesn’t go out of its way to explain every aspect of the story, and that’s okay; this is a film that is meant to be pondered on for some time after the credits roll. Though the pacing could use to be more concise, this is a thought provoking and chilling commentary on an unusual fear.