The Watcher

A young woman is by herself at a house in the countryside where something terrible has happened.

This short begins with peacefulness with opening shots of the interior of a home, including a hallway, a well-kept bed, a bunch of flowers and a woman, the heroine (Morin), who appears to be there all alone. The opening also includes the sound of a siren, before switching to a cassette recording of women reciting a prayer and finally to a recording by a man, who is Father Enoch (Dave), a priest. It is here where things become enigmatic. Enoch's recording is a speech that is addressed to his followers and it basically explains what is going on. Enoch states that he is a prophet and that the time has come for him and his followers to enter the afterlife.

While the recording is playing and acting as a voice-over, the woman performs a variety of tasks that include gardening, cooking, taking a bath and getting dressed. So far, it is a mystery regarding what is going on and then the film gets to the dead bodies, providing gruesome answers. There are corpses inside the large house, lying on beds and covered with white sheets. The woman places yellow flowers on top of each body. The shocking revelation of the deceased is what gives this story a sharp left turn as the audience realises that they are observing the consequences of an unspeakable series of events. Now that the unimaginable deeds have been carried out, the heroine continues according to the plan (probably Enoch's plan), until she seems to have a change of heart.

This short has quite a plot: a woman alone in an isolated house that is filled with dead bodies. And the factors that led to this are unsettling, as is the sight of the corpses, whose realistic appearance is the work of makeup artist Lucia Tarro. Once the deceased have made their appearance, the atmosphere is rather sinister and uncomfortable, which is an aspect that makes this an effective psychological horror film, along with Morin's performance.

Tarro and Sellers also worked on the cinematography and the result is very good. The film also benefits from a beautiful score that includes piano melodies.

This short horror story is the aftermath of a devastating event. It focuses on the consequences of a disturbing process that involved brainwashing and religion. Some might find the ending a bit dull, nevertheless, this is a memorable viewing due to the plot and the atmosphere.