Hi again, ghosts and ghouls!

There are a handful of sub-genres that I’ve found myself attached to within the horror genre, as a lot of you know.  Body horror is my favorite, because it definitely makes me the most uncomfortable of all of the others.  A close second for me is religious-based horror (think THE EXORCIST), and I love anything that has to do with cults/Satanic cults.  It must be something about being non-religious…I connect myself to films that make me want to get in touch with a spiritual side of myself to see where I fall.

Every time I get offered a horror film pertaining to any type of cult, I always jump right on it. Shannon offered me a screener of COMMUNE, a London-based horror film, and it was no question for me!

COMMUNE, tells the story of Tom, a man with a mission: watch a run-down house in London. It’s clearly been vacated, with peoples’ personal effects all over the house, food still on the counter, dusty books and drawings littering the floor and shelves.  At night, Tom notices lots of strange noises…it’s just the house settling, isn’t it?  Maybe Tom should have taken a different job.

What I find the coolest about the film is the fact that the director (Thomas Perrett) actually based the short film around that house, where he attended a Halloween party (and all of the personal belongings of the family were still there, that’s all genuine).  What Tom doesn’t realize in watching this house, is the sounds he’s hearing aren’t actually the house settling, but a former cult that resided in the house.  They’re looking for new members, and he has no choice but to go along for the ride.

This is a quick short film that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.  At about 16 minutes long, it’s just long enough where you can gather what’s going on, but short enough where it doesn’t drag.

There’s no lack of creepy imagery, and a figure that’s almost BABADOOK-like, in a way.  He lurks, but as far as I can tell, never hurts anyone.  But his smile is pretty horrifying, so I guess he does kind of hurt people…but mentally.  He also watches outside your window while you sleep. Creep.

I found myself losing interest, at a point, as they bring in the storyline of a homeless man outside who really didn’t need to be in the film at all to add anything substantial, but other than that, it’s really my only issue with COMMUNE.  It’s fun, it’s quick, it’s creepy, and it’s overall a well-made short.

Give it a watch if you’re into cult-horror, or you’re looking for a film that’s gripping from start to finish!

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Taylor Krauss

Taylor has been a horror fan for as long as she can remember, begging her parents to let her see The Exorcist at the tender age of just five years old. Since then, she has developed a lifelong obsession with all things strange, paranormal, and creepy. If you find her doing something other than watching a horror film, she’s probably raging as a dwarf barbarian playing Dungeons and Dragons (obsessively…it’s a problem), quoting Lord of the Rings incessantly, or trying to become Dana Scully.

Latest posts by Taylor Krauss (see all)

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