Stalker is an atmospheric, micro-budget film that looks like a million bucks. Written by David Cholewa and Rémy Gente with direction from Cholewa, the film spends little time on exposition and instead drops us right into suspense. Stalker stars Sandra Hohenadel as a woman on the run late at night in the streets of Paris as a mysterious figure follows her home. Constructed as one long chase scene, we are treated to nerve-rattling tension, sleek photography, and some startling imagery. Yet, the problem with a really good short film is that it is, well, short.
Reeling from what is obviously a bad date, we meet the woman as she exits the Metro, mascara streaked down her face. She navigates the labyrinthian streets and passageways of a darkened city. Storm clouds loom above, threatening to burst forth with torrential rain. She soon senses that a dark figure is following her. Every so often she turns around to look, to confront, but the figure just stands there, menacingly. Her only option is to keep moving and get to the safety of her building.
Along the way there are some wonderfully staged moments of suspense. The yellow glow of street lights flatten everything with an amber hue as the figure stands motionless at the top of a set of stairs. In another scene the woman is in a tunnel, surrounded in darkness as the figure leers at her from the lighted end of the tunnel. You would think that once she gets to her building, behind the safety of a locked door, things would calm down. You would be dead wrong.
A number of things really struck me when I watched Stalker. Cholewa and Gente know how to create just enough of a story to showcase their respective talents. Director Cholewa effectively builds anxiety with his polished direction and classy photography. Meanwhile, the effects work supervised by Navet Studio and his team is meticulous and well executed. There are moments that truly made my skin crawl in the best way. Reportedly made for a mere $5k, the movie has the look of a multi-million dollar wide release. I am loathe to spoil anything but the movie really gets legs once the woman makes it to her apartment building.
If you get the chance, be it at a festival or eventual streaming, check out Stalker. It’s a slick horror short sure to keep you from ever walking home alone at night.
