It was screened by the British Film Institute and Talenthouse for the Unscreened film competition in 2014. Directed by Matt Sears and Tim Knight, I thought the plot felt familiar.
I later discovered that the film was based on a two sentence horror story I had read online before: A girl heard her mom yell her name from downstairs, so she got up and started to head down. As she got to the stairs, her mom pulled her into her room and said “I heard that, too.” as a writer of short horror stories, I love it.
Perfect Horror
I love that the filmmakers can take a sentence and craft a gem. The aspects of the production bring life to the story. A child is sleeping. Her mom calls her from the shadows downstairs. But something is amiss. The voice sounds distorted. And it gets closer before it calls out. Ready or not, here I come. I had literal goosebumps the entire time.
Mother and daughter are played by Rowena Beagley and Nina Beagley who I can only assume are a real life mother/daughter combo. Each are excellent with little dialogue and short time on screen. The mother is loving. The child is terrified. It’s what one would expect.
If you like scaring yourself, turn out the lights and watch this. It’s short and effective at giving you chills. We’re 6 months from Halloween, and this is a great way to warm up.
“I Heard it Too” is available to watch on YouTube
