Navigating the perils of a relationship is, in itself, concerning. In writer-director Ryan Valdez’s new horror short We Got A Dog, we throw a dog into the mix. Or at least what is said to be a dog. Mixing the influences of Rod Serling’s Twilight Zone with a bit of Invasion of the Body Snatchers we get a 5-minute-peek into the life of a couple being infiltrated by an outside force resulting in some nimble writing and a heavy creep factor.

The short begins with a young woman (Morgan Taylor) arriving at her home. The woman calls her boyfriend (Mason Conrad) as the two had planned on getting home at the same time to make dinner and relax for the night. As it turns out, the boyfriend is still at work and running behind. Familiar with his tardy nature the woman tells her boyfriend to hurry home and she exits her car and heads into the house. What the woman finds upon entering her home is confusing, disconcerting, and enough to make your skin crawl. What makes We Got A Dog’s random slice of mystery and horror work is the brevity and clever use of narrative. We anchor to the woman’s point of view as she faces a rather confusing and ultimately disturbing situation.

The performances are solid, but the real stars linger just out of focus in the opaque shades of darkness. Valdez, who also acts as Director of Photography and Editor, frames his frights out of focus or in near black to build great suspense. We Got A Dog feels like a proof of concept that is screaming for Blumhouse to nab it and flesh it out into a feature. Jason, if you are reading, check this one out. Great concept, creep-factor at overload, and a solid production make We Got A Dog the pick of the litter.

7 out of 10