When Shelley and Jack move into a new apartment, Shelley begins acting paranoid and sleepwalking. As she learns more about the dark history of the home from neighbors, Shelley becomes consumed with what happened to it’s former tenants as Jack soon realizes Shelley may be its latest haunting.

In just 25 minutes, Here in the Dark takes us through many stages of a doomed relationship: optimism, ennui, suspicion, betrayal, and conclusion. Set in a haunted (or is it?) apartment, Shelley (Maddisyn Carter) and Jack (Derrick Denicola) are your typical young couple who are comfortable with each other, joking about “christening” the bedroom on their first night. Marge (Nancy Linehan Charles), an elderly neighbor, gives a proper ominous warning about the murder that happened in their apartment. “Look it up,” she intones.

Shelley spends her time watching Ghostbusters and Rosemary’s Baby while Jack is at work (and Jack is staying later and later). Shelley starts sleepwalking and hearing noises in the apartment. Is the place really haunted? Is she just suspicious of Jack’s late hours and letting that get the best of her? Writer/Director Gabriel Saint makes great use of the single location, especially at night, with deepening shadows and dark corners. Something might be hiding in every doorway.

As we careen toward what might seem a typical ending we are treated with a glorious jolt. What makes the conclusion al the more effective is the quiet, mounting dread of tension that disarms the viewer. An accomplished and effective piece of cinema that has us eager for more from writer, director Gabriel Saint.

Here in the Dark premieres July 18 at the L. A. Shortsfest, at the Laemmle NoHo theater. Check out the trailer below!