“Midnight Clear” is a 2017 short by filmmaker Joe Russo. It’s seven minutes long, and offers a chilling scenario highlighted by its Christmastime setting.
A family gathers to open gifts on Christmas Eve. Julie (Jessica Morris) is terrified. David (Kurt Kubeck) has a short temper. The children (Caige Coulter and Kue Lawrence) are tentative. We the viewer immediately know something is wrong. Exactly what remains to be seen.
“Midnight Clear” was written by John Jesensky and Joe Morris. The script calls for an ominous red herring, and the actors all deliver it well. From the moment we see Julie’s watery eyes and running makeup to the shocking end.
The Christmas backdrop sells the scares.
Leave the pumpkins, ghosts, and skeletons in the basement. Nothing is more chilling than the subdued lights of a Christmas tree amidst an obviously horrifying situation.
“Midnight Clear” is quick and effective. It has an interesting twist and a perfectly unsettling atmosphere.
Click here to watch “Midnight Clear”
