Sundance 2022 Film Festival – Carter Smith‘s Bugcrush is a good example of using restraint in a horror film. There’s not a single drop of blood spilled in all 35 minutes. And yet, this is a frightening and uncomfortable film. This short has a way of luring you in and building to rather jarring implied violence.

Smith’s film won the 2006 Short Filmmaking Award at Sundance and for good reason. It’s a strange, yet hypnotic journey, a well-paced piece of filmmaking. Based on a short story by Scott Treleaven, the film stars Josh Caras as Ben, a loner who crushes hard on new kid Grant (Donald Cumming). Ben’s behavior edges stalker territory. He watches Grant and has a strange sort of curiosity and fascination with him, from the moment they first meet and talk. Cumming does a good job playing the strange new kid. He exudes a kind of cool and confidence naturally. Caras, meanwhile, does a fine job in the lead. This is a character not fully sure of himself and his sexuality. It’s a subtle performance that works.

Much of the film centers around Ben trying to figure out Grant’s story. The mystery here keeps a viewer hooked, and Smith paced this film just perfectly. This also has a dark, heavy atmosphere for much of the runtime that makes you feel there’s more to Grant than he’s letting on. Eventually, Ben learns that Grant gets high by letting a certain type of bug bite him. He does this with his troublemaker friends, Shannon (David Tennent) and Keith (Billy P.). They dress in all black and must have really hit up Hot Topic, based on their outfits and mall punk jewelry. Once Ben discovers their secret, this film gets really weird, really fast. It all leads to a surprising ending where the violence happens in flashes and even off-screen. The editing and cutting here are done so well. We don’t need to see all of the violence. It remains just as shocking.

Carter went on to direct three features, including the wildly underrated The Ruins in 2008. In Bugcrush, his potential as a filmmaker is evident. This is a perfectly paced 35 minutes high on tension and suspense. It has two arresting characters in lead roles and an interesting narrative. The power of this short remains all these years later. It’s a chilling ride, driven by a clever narrative and strong performances–give it a watch at the link below!

Bugcrush screened again as an anniversary short at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival.

9 Out of 10