The Haunted Hall

One night, a man finds himself trapped inside a building and pursued by a sinister force.

It is late at night and Tony (Attrill), an employee at a community centre, is doing the closing procedures. After taking too long to finish up, he ends up being locked inside. It then becomes apparent that there is something else in there with him. Something evil and terrifying.

This short horror film is less than ten minutes long and during that time it manages to create strong feelings of dread and isolation. The main concept is a person trapped in a place where something bad is happening, which is simple and common and not a negative thing. The audience follows Tony around, as he navigates the deserted rooms, trying to find a way out. The narrative begins with normality, then the tension rises as he is unable to get out and starts seeing creepy figures here and there.

The figures that Tony sees represent the threat in this story. They look like everyday humans and when they are seen, they are standing still, with their back turned towards the protagonist. By being motionless and not revealing their faces, these beings come across as mysterious and threatening.

Although the entities are scary enough, there are chilling sound effects that add to the frights. James Jarvis creates a score that is sinister and quite appropriate and the song during the closing credits is amusing and closes the film effectively. Praise also goes to the stylised letters during the opening and closing credits and to the special effects.

Attrill's character is the only person (or at least the real human) seen in the film and therefore his performance is a vital aspect. Attrill pulls it off fantastically, making the viewers feel his fear and panic.

This short supernatural horror film provides an experience that is frightening and agonising and it will most likely satisfy fans of this genre.