First, let me start out by saying that I’m super impressed by the Final Girls Berlin Film Festival. All the features I watched brought something special and extraordinary to the table. I think this just may be one of my new favorite festivals. On that note, boils and ghouls, here are my reviews for the Family Dysfunction Short Films Block!

Night Frizz Productions presents UNBEARING, a short directed by Aidan Weaver and written by Jennifer Trudrung. Jennifer also stars along with Mary Katherine O’Donnell, Jenna Goforth, and Reginal Heinish.

The film centers around a young woman who is called to babysit for a couple who give strict instructions not to disturb their baby. They leave her with a video baby monitor which shows the sleeping baby.

I’ve already done a review for UNBEARING elsewhere, but I will say that it fits well with this block of shorts and has a runtime of 10 minutes. The family is absolutely dysfunctional and delusional. As I mentioned before, the mother reminds me of other crazy mother’s in films such as The People Under the Stairs and Mommie Dearest. It will have you rethinking your next babysitting gig, that’s for sure.

MADAME MACABRE TELLS A TERRIBLE TALE ABOUT TONGUES is a short that is bizarrely fantastic. It was written and directed by Tracy Rosenblum and the cast includes Jamie Newell, Elizabeth Dickson, and Colleen Mooney.

The film centers around the beguiling Madame Macabre who shares with us the tale of Beatrice, a young girl who should learn to watch her tongue.

Man, each one of these shorts surprised me, but MADAME MACABRE TELLS A TALE ABOUT TONGUES takes the cake! I never in my wildest dreams though I could find “tongues” adorable but this happened. I know, right?

It was disturbing, hilarious, and a bloody good time. I will say that the best part to me was Madame Macabre. I would love to see her host more horror tales as she is perfect for the job with her edgy voice and ghoultastic beauty. This short has a runtime of 12 minutes and each minute is worth it!

METAMORPHOSIS is one crazy and sadistic horror tale that has an intense runtime of 8 minutes. The short was directed by Elaine Xia as well as co-written by herself and Feiyang Sun. The cast includes Cici Lau, Jiin Jang, and Monica Cho.

The short centers around a woman in 1990s Hong Kong who accidentally kills her alcoholic husband in self defense and finds a unique way to dispose of the evidence.

I was shocked by this short. It’s downright disturbing but also deliciously satisfying. Revenge is a bitch and the main character takes that to a whole new level. I can’t say that I blame her one bit either. Karma kills.

The special effects and makeup were outstanding with great quality that made it very realistic – so much so that it made my stomach turn. It’s definitely of higher quality than I see in most full features.

Overall, this is one that I think everyone will enjoy. It’s not for the faint of heart though as it gets pretty gory.

If you love stories about crazy, bizarre families, you’ll love HOME EDUCATION. The film was directed and written by Andrea Niada and stars Jemma Churchill, Richard Ginn, and Kate Reed.

The short follows an inquisitive girl who is convinced her dead father will soon be resurrected; certain he has died to test their love for him. However, when the corpse begins to rot, the girl is forced to reconsider the situation.

I was completely creeped out during this entire 24 minute runtime. At first I thought it was just the mother who was strange and overbearing but the daughter was a ball of crazy as well. Several scenes completely threw me for a loop and had me wondering what would happen next.

The performances were outstanding in HOME EDUCATION. Jemma Churchill and Kate Reed have great chemistry on film and know how to build tension and suspense. They gave me the heebie jeebies, reminding me of other creepy families like those in Get Out, American Gothic, and People Under the Stairs. Watch HOME EDUCATION to see the madness unfold step by step.

Have you ever felt the presence of someone else/something in your home? Then you’ll definitely want to check out CRESWICK. The film was directed by Natalie Erika James who also co-wrote the screenplay with Christian White. The cast includes Dana Miltins and Chris Orchards.

The short centers around Sam and her fear of her childhood home which is brought to light when her aging father claims there is another presence in the house.

Out of all the shorts in this block, CRESWICK wasn’t nearly as bizarre as the others, but still had a sinister and creepy tone about it. Or so that’s what I thought until the twisted end revealed itself. Sneaky sneaky. I nearly jumped out of my chair!

The performances were once again outstanding and you could feel the connection between the father and daughter as well as the pain they have from going so long without seeing each other. The end left me speechless and sent chills down my spine and although CRESWICK was a slow burn, the last minute of the 9 minute runtime sold the story for me.

Make sure you check out the FAMILY DYSFUNCTION Film Block on Saturday, February 3rd at the Final Girls Berlin Film Festival

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Tori Danielle

Co-Owner at PopHorror

Tori is a published author, co-owner of PopHorror.com, and lover all of things horror and macabre. She spends her days working at her full-time job and then coming home and spending endless hours writing for several sites. When she’s not working, she’s obsessing over everything Harry Potter and has officially received her invitation to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She is also producing several upcoming films including 13 Fanboy. If she was a Pokémon she would be Jigglypuff. You can follow her on Twitter @twistedtori87 and on Instagram @twistedtori87.

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