Indie Horror Short Film Review: YUMMY MEAT: A HALLOWEEN CAROL

When it comes to horror shorts, something I’ve learned, is that they need to pack a mean punch to leave a lasting impression.  The writers and directors have a short window of time to get the message or theme across and they need to do so in a way that is quick, unique, and long lasting.  I watch A LOT of shorts and sometimes it feels like they all mesh together; however, every once in awhile one or two (maybe even three!) shorts stand out from the crowd.  “Yummy Meat: A Halloween Carol” is one of those shorts that packs a hell of a punch that you won’t soon forget.

“Yummy Meat: A Halloween Carol” is a five minute horror short from director John Fitzpatrick and writer Sean Decker.  It tells the story of Amber (Miracle Laurie) a snarky dentist, who on Halloween, decides to hand out toothbrushes instead of candy to the neighborhood children.  To her horror, she soon realizes that one of these kids, upon not getting what it wants, is not what it seems.  This particular short is the 4th episode a monthly web series on YouTube called Scary Endings and it premiered at the 2015 Scream Fest Horror Film Festival in Los Angeles.  It was at this time that this short first came on my radar.

“Yummy Meat: A Halloween Carol” was able to combine everything that I love in the span of 5 minutes: Halloween, psychotic children, blood splatter, a terrifying monster, and a splash of humor.  I’m pretty easy to please when you incorporate all of those things into a well written story that is brilliantly executed.  Not only did this short bring back some Halloween nostalgia, but I was on the edge of my seat from start to finish.  The acting was superb and I was incredibly impressed with Lucas Jaye, kid that stops at Amber’s home for treats.  I don’t want to give away too much, but I enjoyed watching his transformation, as well as his climactic scene, which I’ll confess, sent chills down my spine.

For you gorehounds, there is one scene in particular that will leave you satisfied.  What I liked about the use of gore was that it was in the film for a reason and not just used as filler.  I also enjoyed the build up to the reveal since the viewer knows that something has gone wrong but we are left to wait until the husband (Luke Albright) returns home.  What I absolutely love most about “Yummy Meat: A Halloween Carol” is the ending.  As I mentioned, I don’t want to give too much away, but I’m a huge fan of endings that don’t wrap themselves up in a neat and tidy bow.  I want my endings to be realistic (even if they do involve monsters) and I think with horror films they shouldn’t end on a happy note.  The ending to “Yummy Meat” left me feeling happy, if not a little evil, with the outcome.

All in all, “Yummy Meat: A Halloween Carol” is a must see for horror and Halloween fans alike.  Watching this in April made me yearn for the Halloween season and the spooky tidings that are too come.  It’s quite obvious that both Fitzpatrick and Decker are fans of Halloween and the horror genre as they were able to put together such a tremendous homage to a much loved holiday.  For more information on “Yummy Meat: A Halloween Carol” and “Scary Endings” go to www.scaryendings.com and follow them on Facebook at facebook.com/scaryendings and Twitter at twitter.com/scaryendings.  Also, you can watch “Yummy Meat: A Halloween Carol” for FREE on Youtube, or just click the link below:

Shannon McGrew
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