I can’t shake the chills. Father was creepy, suspenseful and downright disturbing. Buy me a pumpkin spiced latte, because I literally can’t right now.

A young boy, desperate for the attention of his self-serving mother is plagued by an overly attentive father figure. The atmospheric horror short plays upon the metaphor of an attention deprived childhood, destroyed by the narcissistic and blissfully unaware acts of his protectors.

Danny (Rodion Kilinc), spooked by something in the night, tries to connect with his mother who is preoccupied with her own carnal pleasures. The vexatious sounds of his mother in the throes of passion and the slow emergence of father create a stressful atmosphere for the viewer – at one point, I was audibly begging for it to stop.

The tension and disturbing imagery crescendo as the ‘father figure’ draws nearer and nearer every time Danny closes his eyes to blink.

I screamed. I’m not afraid to admit it. I AM afraid to watch this again.

Director Chris Keller, 20Hz, created a striking and memorable film that will haunt my dreams for weeks to come. Kilinc gives an outstanding performance. His silent horror is felt within the viewer.
The film doesn’t bother itself with messy dialogue but is carried by the haunting sounds of mother’s moans of pleasure and the crunching, crackling sounds father makes as he descends upon Danny.
While many films rely primarily on the unseen to scare viewers, Father takes it a step further. The first half of the film builds up a nerve-wracking ‘what’s that shadow over there’ kind of tension. It successfully builds up an anticipation for what’s to come – and what comes does not disappoint. The special effects team created a monster so grotesquely wonderful that it can successfully scare viewers (ok, maybe just me) without moving a muscle.

The entire film felt like an all too real excerpt from the ‘kids’ book, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. The twisted imagery and spine-tingling sounds thrust me back into the cold horrors of my childhood. This time, it was darker, it was real and it wanted me.

Father screened at nearly 40 festivals and won awards for cinematography, acting and SFX makeup.
By film’s end, I felt heavy. It was one of the most terrifying films I have seen in a while, and it may be for you too. I’d recommend Father to any horror aficionado, especially those in need of a good scare.

Why take our word for it? Watch it yourself here!