Overlook Film Festival 2026 – Spanked by a Ghost certainly isn’t a typical haunted house tale. In fact, it may be the horniest ghost story that I’ve ever watched. Writer/director Katelyn Douglass certainly doesn’t stick to conventions or well-worn genre tropes. As the name of her film implies, this is haunting with plenty of sexual tension.
The short film stars Lindsy Li in an unnamed role. Home alone, she’s spanked by an unknown entity within the first minute or two. Meanwhile, her boyfriend, Brandon (Brandon Daley), is out of town while the lewd haunting occurs. Yet, while it’s clear the protagonist and Brandon have a healthy relationship, which is evident during a phone call and the emotions they express towards each other, clearly, she’s missing something in their relationship. The ghost seems to satisfy her urges.
What’s surprising about this movie is how little fear the lead shows towards the ghost. Within the opening minute, the film begins like a typical haunting narrative. She hears creaks and other strange noises in her home. Yet, when the spanking begins, she doesn’t resist it. Instead, she actually communicates with the ghost via text and craves more and more of his touch, and yes, she discovers it’s a man. The sexual tension culminates in a strangely erotic graveyard scene that won’t be spoiled in this review.
Douglass’ work here feels fresh and innovative, veering away from the typical haunted house tale to offer something that’s surprising and interesting. I’d love to see this turned into a feature-length film, with a full backstory given to the uber sexual ghost and also the lead. Why does she turn to this kind of aggressive attention when she has a boyfriend? There’s a lot here left to explore, especially regarding the core relationships.
Overall, Spanked by a Ghost is as sexual as the name implies. Despite the fact this is essentially a story about a haunting, it never once flirts with cliched tropes. Douglass managed to make ghosts interesting again and super horny, too.
