Left alone as caretaker of a clothing-optional LGBT resort in its off-season, Matt (Mark Cirillo) confronts an unseen threat which wreaks havoc on him under the Palm Springs night sky. But could this unseen antagonist just be figments of Matt’s imagination?

It is hard to figure out where exactly to begin in critiquing Jody Wheeler’s new short, Hippopotamus, as it feels quite light on any substance; particularly as a horror title. Conceptually, Wheeler introduces us to an intriguing environment for a supernatural stalker, which in many ways bears likeness to Stephen King’s, The Shining; and it’s in the isolation of the film’s location that the most fun occurs, attempting to solve what is real and what is not.

But any interest piqued surrounding a haunted nude retreat is not enough to dazzle from a lack of compelling story to support the characters. What seems to emphasize this critique is the film’s generous amount of full-frontal, which would be an interesting tool with which to elevate a story with plenty of potential, but comes across as the filmmakers just wanting to get naked for the sex appeal and shock value of it. Perhaps it’s unfair to give such harsh critique to a horror film with a thirteen-minute runtime, and yet horror itself barely feels present in essence outside of borrowing from Stephen King’s famed hotel template.

Hippopotamus, hit streaming on Pluto TV this past Halloween and stars Mark Cirillo (Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp), Casey Thibodaux (Other People’s Children), Jacob Betts (Other People’s Children), and Demetris Hartman (All Sewn Up).