Film Review: Horror Stories (2024)
DiSparrow Films
As unromantic as it may sound, the fact that horror films can often be made cheaply has been pivotal to their success and proliferation. Major studios have spent seasons chasing the heels of contemporary horror hits, hoping to find a stack of box office cash tied to the end of the shoestring. Even the shameless imitators and knock-offs in this genre have occasionally found success, and there’s nothing to lament about aspiring filmmakers with a taste for horror taking a crack at their craft without relying on nepotism, mommy-daddy money, or access to high-end equipment.
And this is where we find Lukas DiSparrow’s Horror Stories, which comes right from the budgetary bottom rung. The collection honestly comes across like something a group of actors volunteered time to so that everyone could get their name out.
And you know what? Despite the obvious limitations, this film works better than 90% of comparable projects I’ve spent time with.
The story is simple: a group of friends meet to read stories from a mysterious book, one apiece. Upon touching the book, the ‘reader’ is seemingly transported into a vision of the tale, cycling back to the frame story at the end of each short film. It’s an easy setup for something like this and doesn't waste any time getting to what really matters. While there’s a bit more to the frame story, it’s thankfully unintrusive, and it gives the shorts themselves deserved spotlight.
The shorts are straightforward, practically-made, and not especially ambitious, narratively speaking, but nothing in Horror Stories is left half-assed, and that’s not something we normally see from a project as fringe as this one. The acting is impressively solid–far better than many entries a few tiers up the production ladder–and while the screenwriting, cinematography, and sound design aren’t going to win any awards, none of them are phoned-in either, which is a really cool thing to say about a project like this. I saw a lot of creative and intelligent filmmaking in this collection, and was pleasantly surprised all around. Typically, ultra low-budget horror in this vein focuses on doing one or two things well to the detriment of all else, but here DiSparrow clearly left nothing to chance and put a lot of care into each scene. While I was never blown away by anything I saw—and the seams in the project aren’t exactly hidden—I was quietly impressed time and time again by the quality of the execution.
I’ll share my thoughts on the individual pieces below:
The Forest Clown
A clown confronts a young couple in the woods, but they’re not especially keen on his routine. This gave me some real Zodiac Killer vibes, and effectively conveys the human discomfort of being in close proximity to a stranger you perceive as unstable. The clown (Joseph Blunt) deserves special recognition for selling this role so well, and the pacing of this scene is virtually perfect. Early-career filmmakers could learn a lot about timing from this short. Very strong opening salvo.
My New Girlfriend
A man on the threshold of middle age lives with his elderly mother, taking care of her. When he finds the body of a murdered woman in the woods, he has visions of bringing her home to introduce as his new “girlfriend.” It’s not exactly an original concept, but there are some creative choices in this depiction that I really like, and we occasionally see the obviously divorced-from-reality character’s imagining of events play out. Not the strongest entry, but like a lot of the stylistic choices here.
The Dancing Lady
Up front, I have to say this one was a miss for me. Two people walking through the woods (who have seemingly never been in the woods before, at least from my slovenly American outdoorsman perspective. Seriously, who carries a video camera through the entirety of a hike?) experience a sudden shift to full darkness and see a woman dancing on the path ahead of them. The script isn’t the best here, and much of the action is too dark to really make out of and be drawn into. I think this is the weakest entry in Horror Stories, but still quite watchable. Maybe there was some humorous intent here I missed?
Dracula
A straightforward story that does a good job of initially misdirecting the audience. The cinematography, make-up effects, and acting earn extra points for what is one of the less-interesting stories in the collection, and I really appreciated some of the camera work here. Initially poses as a devil’s bargain-style story before taking a welcome turn.
Devil’s Feast
Probably my favorite short in the film, a woman caring for a baby receives a knock at her door from two unwanted guests with bad intentions. What follows is a series of twists and horrifying developments that make this one of the strongest and most original entries. I’m saying so little because the less you know, the better.
Mother
Dark, twisty tale that keeps viewers guessing. A woman gets a particular P2P rental for an audition, but soon finds her plans are deeply intertwined with that of the landlord. This feels like a solid proof-of-concept for something longer.
Lola the Doll
Two people meet for a date, but the woman is dressed as–and seemingly has the tastes of–a child’s doll. When the would-be companion declines the tea party, we see the willfulness of a toddler brought to bear. Clearly a bit goofy, it's still a fun entry in the wider film, and I would have liked to see more scenes with these actors.
She Lives in Me
A person experiencing gender dysphoria experiences visions of an alternate self that torments their dreams, but may also be reaching into the waking world. I think this is a cool idea, but the execution here feels a touch muddled. Good use of camera effects here, and I think this is just a story that needs a bit more room to breathe.
Divine Retribution
Intertwining with the frame story itself, the final entry is an attention-grabbing twist on the righteous prostitute trope. A john goes to see a sex worker and, after some light BDSM play, finds that he may be paying for his transgressions with more than his wallet. I really liked this one, and think it shows some creative thematic play. Like the best shorts from this collection, I’d be keen to see it reimagined as a larger project.
Final Thoughts
Horror Stories is exactly what you want from a project like this–despite production limitations and other recognizable constraints, it does an excellent job of working with the available tools. Any criticisms you could lob at it–corny premise, limited originality, etc.--kind of fall silent as the collection simply does so many things above films in the same class. I want to see more from everyone involved with Horror Stories.
Score: 7.5
Strengths
Solid acting and cinematography
Well-crafted, intentional filmmaking
Stories are varied enough to stay interesting through the finish
Weaknesses
Not the most original narrative ideas
Frame story feels like either too much or too little?
You can watch Horror Stories on Tubi.
You may also like: V/H/S series, Creepshow, The Theatre Bizarre
