For the most part, I have grown tired of seeing the same old thing again and again. However, writer/director Michael Rich’s horror comedy short film, Cabin Killer is an example of how the right elements can overcome a familiar story. Casting and well-crafted dialogue kept me interested even though I could easily see where the film was going.

With their relationship feeling strained, Adam (Chris Orlandi) takes Sherri (Gabi van Horn) away for the weekend to help them reconnect. She thought maybe they were heading to a nice spa weekend. However, Adam felt a weekend in the woods at a secluded cabin would be the spark to relight their fuse. Even though their toilet is what ever hole they dig for themselves outside and the “running water” he told her about is the creek down the hill, Sherri is reluctantly willing to make an attempt at this weekend. But when she hears a news report on the radio about the psychotic cabin killer striking random cabins in the area, she draws the line…especially when she finds out that Adam had already “heard, maybe a little, something about (that).”

Knowing that it was a comedy I certainly expected a scenario that would feature a killer who would regret having chosen this particular cabin. And even though the film did deliver on that, I still had a really good time on the way. Orlandi and van Horn were terrific as Adam and Sherri and I just enjoyed watching them so much that they are a major reason I plan to watch the film again. There is such sincerity in their performances that when the killer finally makes appearance you completely buy that desire to finish their argument and not just for comedic purposes. In addition to the performances, a lot of credit goes to Rich as both the writer and director. The dialogue is sharp, and the film is well staged.

Cabin Killer has now had it’s online premiere on YouTube and you can watch it for yourself here: