Dark Mommy
2024 · 14m · USA
Directed by Courtney Eck
Genres: horror
A 911 night-shift operator in a small town has his quiet routine shattered when calls flood in reporting the return of a mysterious creature known as Dark Mommy, who has sinister intentions for him and the rest of the town.
Picked by Margot
The scouts
Real contortionists building a creature for under a minute of screen time is the right way to do a monster, and a Reddit-thread origin is a fine modern folktale source. The 911-operator framing is genre-template, but the craft sounds sharp.
Reddit-creepypasta-to-screen with contortionist physicality and a brief, dominant monster — this is the Lights Out playbook executed with conviction. Effective horror at this length usually means a single image you cannot forget; the production design suggests they understood that.
Real contortionists alongside Uranbileg Angarag to build a monster that's on screen under a minute but anchors the whole film — that's smart resource allocation for horror. Inspiration from the Reddit thread of creepy-kid quotes is on-brand, though page summary is genre-trailer-thin.
Reviews
Filmmaker Courtney Eck delivers a haunting, unforgettable new figure in horror cinema, and a short film that lingers long after the credits roll.
Through articulate sound design and committed physical performances, Dark Mommy creates an uncomfortability that audiences weren't expecting.
Festivals
- Overlook Film Festival 2024
- Seattle International Film Festival 2024
- Chattanooga Film Festival 2024
- Fantasia International Film Festival 2024
- Indy Shorts International Film Festival 2024
- A Night Of Horror International Film Festival 2024
- Portland Horror Film Festival 2024