C A U G H T
2018 · 6m · United States
Directed by Douglas Sullivan
Genres: coming-of-age, horror, thriller
On the run and desperate, Carter's parents hide out in a desolate cabin hoping the creature won't find them — but it's Carter who learns monsters don't live under the bed.
Picked by Zoe
The scouts
The premise promises subversion—monsters under the bed revealed as human horror—but the execution defaults to familiar coming-of-age-through-trauma beats that feel more dutiful than genuinely disruptive.
Sullivan demonstrates assured control of tone and pacing, situating this within the lineage of mythic horror-thrillers like *The Shining*, though the film doesn't quite find enough formal originality to distinguish itself from its influences.
The tonal pivot where the camera shifts focus from parents to child, revealing that the real threat isn't the creature but the family itself—that single reframing choice transforms a derivative setup into something quietly devastating.