“Who’s There?” is a simple and effective horror short, directed by Ryan Doris. The ten-minute film was completed in 2024 and saw its online premiere on Alter in June of 2025.
It’s suburban horror, set in a nice house in a seemingly peaceful neighborhood. Marissa (Lizzy Kircher) lives with her stepfather, Phil (Garland Scott). Marissa is going to a party, and Phil is grilling her about drinking, drugs, and curfew.
The opening scene is acted, filmed, and written quite well. We get the history of the two in a succinct way without heavily relying on exposition. As Marissa leaves the house, Phil calls out a reminder to be back by midnight.
Phil dozes off, awakening hours later when he hears Marissa calling from outside for him to open the door. “I need to get inside.” The ethereal voice beckons before saying something that makes Phil question who, or what it is that’s lurking in the dark.
Terrifying
“Who’s There?” wastes no time getting into the story. A typical teenager, a struggling single parent. It’s a common theme. Garland Scott is great in the performance. We can understand the emotional history of the character with just a few words, expressions, and mannerisms. Lizzy Kircher is equally solid in bookend scenes.
I love the claustrophobic setting. Phil peers through the peephole and mail slot in the door. Perfect devices for horror as each limits the field of vision. He’s left struggling for answers. Is it Marissa outside playing a joke, or something malevolent with only a locked front door separating them. Ryan Doris does an excellent job at presenting the narrative.
“Who’s There?” is fast and fun horror. It can be watched by clicking here.
