For the fourth year in a row, Shudder has featured selections from Etheria Film Night, a film festival composed of horror/sci-fi short films all directed by women.  It’s always fun to see a variety of stories from a variety of creators in a variety of subgenres, and this year’s batch is no different.

So we wanted to highlight these films.  They’re all streaming right now under “Etheria” on Shudder!

No Overnight Parking
Written/Directed by Meg Swertlow

Set on Halloween night, this short film stars some big names like Alyssa Milano and French Stewart.  As a woman tries to drive from a parking garage after working late, she’s attacked by a masked killer.  The story itself is pretty standard but satirizes slashers in a manner of dark humor.  All while making a commentary on the way women are often treated in horror.  It’s short, it’s sweet, but it leaves a lasting impression.

Autopilot
Written/Directed by Jennifer Zhang

This one is more sci-fi than horror, but goes very philosophical in its themes and ideas.  It has a really good production design for its budget, with everything taking place aboard an interstellar craft.  It asks some interesting questions about what it means to be human, and the nature of self-awareness.  And without getting into spoilers, it does have a decent twist, that if you read deeply into it might have something to say about how women in science aren’t always taken as seriously.

Sucker
Written/Directed by Alix Austin

This short film comes in quickly and it comes in hard.  Going full body horror, we get a grotesque growth coming out of someone and her efforts to get rid of it.  Given its budget, the CGI is really decent, and it does a great job of getting under your skin (no pun intended).  If watching this doesn’t make you itchy, then you lied about watching it!

The Erl King
Directed by Genevieve Kertesz, Written by Keith Karnish, Genevieve Kertesz, Rachel A. Weise

Based on folklore, this short film is a dark fantasy with a twist on fairy tales.  A young woman runs away from her village to consort with the titular Erl King.  The makeup effects are genuinely spectacular as the Erl King himself looks like a human that turned into a tree.  And while the tree sex scene is exactly as weird as it sounds, the production design is great, and the film itself manages to tell a cautionary tale about grooming.

Incomplete
Written/Directed by Zoey Martinson

This short film (like several others featured) was actually an episode of the anthology short series Bite Size Halloween.  Following a convict on house arrest in a house that’s apparently haunted, this short film feels like it could be the beginning of a feature movie.  So it sets up an interesting premise, features comedic performances and a generally creepy vibe.  Using house arrest as a plot point as to why someone can’t leave their haunted house is a truly unique idea that hasn’t really been explored much before.

Border
Written/Directed by Mai Nakahanishi

Very surreal and based around our fears of technology, Border was more atmospheric than it was narrative.  Still an interesting watch that leaves you with more questions than answers, but it feels like that was very much the intention.  The fact that it’s in Japanese and subtitled only contributes to making English speakers feel isolated and out of place.

Sleep Study
Written/Directed by Natalie Metzger

Another episode from Bite Size Halloween, this story delves into the exhausting world of being new parents and sleep paralysis.  It’s creepy when it needs to be and plays out like Insidious or Sinister.  It’s a solid mini horror movie that goes to some incredibly dark places that will probably leave some more upset than thrilled.  But if you’re looking for something disturbing, this is the short film for you!

Angels
Directed by Samantha Aldana, Written by Parsons Twesten

Bite Size Halloween was really represented this year at Etheria as Angels taps into themes of faith, life after death, and whether we’re alone in the universe.  This short film will hit particularly close to home for anyone who’s ever been a caregiver to an ailing family member.  It has probably the most interesting premise of any of the short films here, but all it does it make us want more.

Go to Bed Raymond
Directed by Nicole Taylor Roberts, Written by Casimir Nazkowski

In the final short film on this lineup that was also from Bite Size Halloween, Go the Bed Raymond is easy to relate for any parent.  It utilizes the trope of kids being privy to creepy things happening around them and sort of runs with it.  Much like the other short film from that same source, this feels like it could be a piece of a feature length horror movie that we’d all like to see the rest of.

Make the Call
Directed by Chelsea Gonzalez, Written by Sal Neslusan

Written by its star, this one was definitely dialogue heavy and more of a thriller than typical horror.  Its writing is its strongest point as in just about 15 minutes, it tells an entire story and still manages to find time to develop its characters.  And it ends on a pretty interesting note as well.

Overall, it was a great lineup.  Make the Call had the best writing and acting.  Sucker and Incomplete were the creepiest.  Sleep Study was the most disturbing.  No Overnight Parking was the most fun, Autopilot made you think the most, and The Erl King was the most visually creative.

What did you think of this year’s Etheria lineup?  What were your favorite short films?  Let us know in the comments!

For more movie reviews, horror news, rankings, and other fun horror/Halloween content, follow Halloween Year-Round on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube!

You can also shop Halloween Year-Round merchandise on Redbubble and support us on Patreon!