Film Review: 'We Know You Are Home'
Well-built tension and aesthetic make this short film about a terrifying house sitting job excellent Halloween entertainment.
For the small town of D'Arcadia, Halloween is no longer the festive night it once was—not since the unexplained disappearances of three trick-or-treaters that continues to haunt the town and its residents. Some years later, Alice (Julie Landriault) find herself with a house sitting gig for Halloween, and is looking forward to a night spent curled up on the couch watching scary movies.
That is, until a trio of trick-or-treaters show up at the door, unnerving Alice with their eerie appearances. While initially trying to brush the encounter off as a Halloween prank, Alice soon comes to realize she may not be alone in the house, and becomes certain that an otherworldly force is terrorizing her. What horrors does this Halloween have in store for Alice?
As I've learned during my time in the rabbit hole of YouTube, the realm of short horror films is extremely vast. With such a vast array of short films out there of varying degrees of quality and length, one has to put a great deal of work into standing out among the fray. We Know You Are Home (a film written and directed by 15 Second Horror Film Challenge founder Andrew J.D. Robinson) does well in that regard, using a combination of a strong story and well-maintained aesthetic that makes it a unique short film that serves as a perfect watch for a spooky October night.
Starting with aesthetic, We Know You Are Home seems to be aiming to replicate 80s horror movies, from the small town setting, to the use of foreboding lighting, and the occasional use of old-timey music that wouldn't be out of place in a classic horror flick. While aspects of the movie make the modern time period clear, the use of a retro aesthetic gives the film a unique identity and gives the story an edge with its throwback style feel.
The story is where We Know You Are Home could've proved to be a flop, as it features a "Young Female Babysitter in Peril" premise that's been rehashed time and again; particularly in the horror genre. But in a similar move to fellow short film We Die Alone, We Know You Are Home thrives on building itself up to seem predictable before completely flipping itself around. While the twist is not as shocking as the one present in We Die Alone, and is one that more hardened horror fans might see coming ahead of time, the build-up is so well-constructed that it'll still provide for an enjoyably tense viewing experience.
This tension is supported by the strong lead acting talent of Julie Landriault, who develops Alice into a strong and easy-to-like protagonist, despite having little dialogue to work with. Despite her character spending much of the movie silent, Landriault uses strong emoting to portray Alice's journey throughout her harrowing night, with her final moments solidifying Alice as a deeply sincere protagonist who you can't help but love and sympathize with. While she currently has only seven films under her IMDB belt, Landriault shows great talent and ability in We Know You Are Home that is too good to be ignored and I hope to see more of her work in the future.
While he's not given nearly as much screentime as her, Don Lee makes an impression in his minor role that I won't give away here to avoid spoilers, with the scene he shares with Landriault being properly intense that both actors carry well together. With strong acting and a well-constructed atmosphere and story to bolsterit, We Know You Are Home definitely makes an impression in a medium where it's easy for films to be forgotten if they don't do something to make themselves memorable. With October and Halloween approaching, We Know You Are Home would make an excellent online watch for a dark night alone.
To watch We Know You Are Home for yourself, it's available for free viewing on YouTube here.
Score: 10 out of 10 presidential cutouts.
About the Creator
Trevor Wells
Aspiring writer and film lover: Lifetime, Hallmark, indie, and anything else that strikes my interest. He/him.
Twitter: @TrevorWells98
Instagram: @trevorwells_16
Email: [email protected]
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