HAHAHAHAHAH i was gunna say. dude imagine making a whole 30 min epic short horror and the only thing that stuck out was the horrific axe swing by an actor. OH MAN....i mean...that has to hurt.
"Let's break into the angry and paranoid man's home to play a prank on him." "The one that threatened to kill multiple townsfolk? Including me, his neighbor? Count me in!" "Oh no! He defended his home and killed a masked intruder! He's craaaazzzyyy! Lock him up!"
In real life John definitely wouldnt be put away for killing that guy because Beth and her friends wouldve been the ones in trouble for doing what they did that night. He was defending himself.
Absolutely..glad someone else seen it that way. Plus they already knew he was becoming fucked up and paranoid definitely their fault he wouldn't go to prison and certainly not a mental institution
@@detroitlionspistonstigersr6735 I mean. he wouldn't go to jail. certainly not. at least not in America. however he may or may not have gone to an institution for a time, considering he was showing a rather high level of aggression and acting overly confrontational. his friends would certainly have gone to jail for the things they did however, of that there is no question.
you probably shouldnt prank someone by burning their car, kidnapping their dog , fake hanging their neighbor and breaking into his barn to set up messed up shit wearing masks so you wont be recognized
@@pinguinlord1319 If someone kindapping my dog and i will find him, i put him in french lost forest, locked on a tree, i let him died by thirst. He can yelling all his soul, nobody can hurd him. (Sorry my english is rotten).
So, another real story, a friend has been almost kidnapped by men, they tried tu put her in a car. She was totaly panicked! (Normal, and she already raped young), so she go to the police station, explains. Cop said: it's probably a prank of your friends! ???????? What? Are you morons? Huh, she knows the faces of their friends no? And what a "funny" prank! No, we don't do that sorry!
A paranoid and driven to danger man, along with being a struggling writer, pushed to the edge by a group doing a sick prank that worsened him. Honestly can’t see full blame on his side.
To all the people complaining that it will be the end of days till he chops down that tree....thats exactly the point....the tree is his guilt....he tries to cut down bis guilt but isnt able to. Thats why the „Monster“ is always depicted as a tree. Part of the metaphor. Thats also why he is killing the dude with the axe...quite nice touch.
I think it's Bull crap that he got in trouble for killing that guy, crazy or not ,those people kinda asked for something to happen. Who trys to inspire someone like that?
I figure being made a murderer like that would've caused a worse a nervous breakdown, he was probably going to be institutionalized regardless of being in trouble or not.
It's such a predictable and tired trope to have a pet or random unfortunate animal that you just KNOW is gonna be killed off sooner or later...just like the stupid BS jumpscares that are equally overused
24:00 This was a JOKE? They deserved what they got. There is NOTHING FUNNY about what they were doing. The guy playing John does a spectacular job, by the way.
Not only are they terrible practical jokers, but they are terrible in an emergency situation too. Someone just got axed to death in front of them and they don't do anything at all, they just stand around being useless. Pronouncing people dead after looking at them doesn't count as useful! No checking vitals, no calling emergency. They don't even run away, or take the axe away. At least the tree people keep their heads in an emergency!
When you hit the 3 dots on the right edge of a post it is to report that post. So, then they give you I believe, 5 options to choose from as to explain the reason you are reporting the post to begin with. I kind of wish it looked more like this: ⚫ Spam ⚫ Pornography or explicit material ⚫ Child Abuse ⚫ Hate speech ⚫ Harrassment or bullying 🔘 Carelessly ruining the video for everyone who reads the comments by neglecting to just start the post with "Spoiler Alert!!!"
I can imagine this as something a scummy youtuber would do, with a title like: SCARING OUR FRIEND AND KILLING HIS DOG (NOT CLICKBAIT) (GARY DIED!!!!!!) *COPS CALLED*
@@Daltonleach11duuuude so did I. Like secret window. Instead it was just a bunch of shitty people who thought harassment and felonies was a funny prank
i've been rewatching this for a bit to see if I can figure out what the three dark figures each represent, since one of them is obviously Angela as John recognized her. My current hypothesis is these are the lives that he has and will ruin/end; Angela, for stealing her work and maybe even killing her, the guy playing a prank on him he kills with an axe and himself as he is consumed by them as a result of his horrible life choices. I feel like there may be another explanation, but this has really stuck in my head for some time. Great work!
There are tons and a little pile of short horror films on UA-cam. I've watched half of it in the past 3 days. It's beyond nice to stumble upon one that is made so professionally. Huge praise to everyone involved!
That was a great story! I feel so bad that they pushed that poor man over the edge to do what he did. Helping him?! Making him sleep deprived to the point of hallucinations, and they knew he was losing it and then his dog? Then they seemed surprised. Great story,acting and production. Made me feel like it could have been real,wow! Thank you for that wild ride and stay safe !
I've been watching these all day. I've been more terrified by most of these short horror films than any Hollywood or high budget movies of this genre. I'm not big on gore I like psychological thrillers. Why aren't all these talented filmmakers able to get funding. I would have loved to see a lot of these be full length. A 5 or 10 minute film has stuck with me all night. I left my light on tonight because I couldn't stop thinking about these stories. BRAVO LADIES & GENTLEMEN. YOU HAVE A LIFELONG VIEWER. Thanks for the sleepless night.😗😞😳😥😢😰😰😭😭 Love it.
Holy crap! With friends like that, who needs enemies! I really liked this mini movie! It has the potential to be expanded into a long movie...that I'd gladly pay to see! I actually watched twice so I could catch more of the subtle nuances going on in the background. I'm a horror movie fanatic! Lol. So I watch the good ones over and over to see what I missed the first time around. Your story was great! And I hope to watch more of your productions! Good luck!!
@@SeanvL that just proves how good your mini movie is! Lol. I LOVE scary movies and more so if they make me think. I hope and pray you go far in the movie industry!
Ok I had to admit, I’m actually here because of David. But good job! This is great for a short film. I wish I can slap some sense into the people that decided to play ‘joke’ on him.
Phenomenal short from beginning to end; writing, directing, acting, best of this genre I’ve seen. The lead reminds me of a young Michael Biehn. So well crafted, I love the creatures and driving guilt.
@@JolieUTU We don't know whether he actually killed his wife or not. He said he "betrayed" her which let to her dying. Most likely suicide, drug abuse, something like that...
It’s a fantastic film. I just can’t imagine how they couldn’t see the horrifying effect their joke, or intended inspiration was actually having on him. It brought out his psychosis so fully. I don’t think anyone could have blamed him for thinking they were trying to kill him since he fully believed they murdered his neighbor and dog. What creepy ass selfish people. All to get a good book out of the poor obviously very damaged guy. But still this was really well done. Perfect lead actor. His intensity was spot on💫
I think you did a fantastic job with everything aside from the ending, the ending was a bit rough, but seriously amazing storytelling :) Aside from issues with the conviction / mental hospital ending, my only issue after viewing is the idea multiple people would think this progression of “pranks” wouldn’t end horribly is just too hard to believe for me. It went from egging his windows, to ding-dong-ditching in the night, to setting his car on fire, to breaking into his home to leave creepy things, to breaking in while he’s sleeping, kidnapping his dog and making him think he was dead… the most extreme instances being after he began looking unhinged and threatened to kill everyone standing in town. This is the last person ANY reasonable person would fuck with… however there’s the argument that the entire thing was a karmic face slap for stealing his ex’s story and publishing it as his own, like fate working through others around him to make him suffer deeper than they know about, or they’re just super helpful midwestern/canadian people who go to the extreme to help a friend that can’t think of a story 😂 Anyway just wanted to give my thoughts, I think the main characters story is very compelling, I also immediately loved that he told Paco “you stay here” when he went to check shit out 😂 that’s true love right there
Some really creative, professional work went into this and I’m really glad I watched this. Usually the short ones are a bit amateur and a bit pants, but this had me on the edge of my seat! Thank you!
Here for David Clark (Captain Allen from DBH), stay for such an incredible short fim. This is a masterpiece. 👏👏 What they were doing to John are really scary and haunting. I can't imagine going through their 'jokes' plus his haunting guilt and don't breakdown in the end.
This was awesome. I felt more suspense than I imagined. Quality cinema work, good leading actor and thankfully nothing bad happened to the dog. Great job! I really enjoyed it!
Wow! We just hit 1M views. I never even dreamt we would've reached that kind of viewership. Thanks so much everyone, we have a lot of good stuff coming. If you'd like more creepy shorts please have a look at our latest Halloween short "IT SEES YOU": ua-cam.com/video/2EbAF6vwNGM/v-deo.html
Did he kill his wife? What do the men cutting the trees mean? In other words: what does the title mean? I just discovered your film today and I can say it's one of the best. IMHO it is a thriller/mistery, more than a horror movie. I mean I was not scared but couldn't wait to find out what was going on. Must say that the ending was totally unexpected: good work! :) Cheers from Italy and happy 2022
@@raffaelevalente7811 good questions, it was a great short, but sadly, another one that had an open end. My take would be that John took the unfinished book from his wife/gf Angela after she had died, published it and made the money and publicity Angela deserved but never got, he feels guilty because of that. Why Woods, why woodworkers dunno, but because Beth asks John regularly inside the restaurant(?) how his novel goes I would atleast assume that John came there for inspiration, for his next and probably his first book ever, which, he got.. But why's the first line you will hear: "Do you like puppet shows?" is this some sort of '''joke''' because of the book title 'Dark Strings' or do they play with him? and why's the 'Show not over'? Lets say the first and big dark ghost(?) could be Angela, but who are the other 2? There are probably many hidden gems you could find and analyze, but, i'll pass on that one, its getting late, lol.
@@deineMudda952 IMO those are not ghosts. After all he is not a murderer: he is schizophrenic. He has never and will never be a writer. It is clear during the last seconds of the short, when he writes "Dark Strings II" on the three pages with a pencil in the asylum room (BTW, there is no bed nothing in that room: why?)
This is well presented, plotted, acted and delivered!! The writer,actor, and director have a lot of talent, as I can see the whole team talent is what made this work🎥🎉!!!😉
First of all: big wow. The guy who played the main character is fucking great and I genuinely hope his career skyrockets. I'm sure he could do some amazing things in the world of cinema. Secondly: great cinematography and atmosphere all round. (edit): Found out the name of the guy is David Clark. He's been in minor roles in a few big blockbuster, but my god should he be getting those major roles for intelligent art films or thrillers.
Absolutely beautifully shot film. I loved the eerie crackling sound of branches breaking when the 3 evil entities appear before the main character, John. The location of filming really helped solidify his lonely surroundings. I loved this film! Great job in catching the horror of his situation!
It can get scary, then someone foxtrots with your pup. That is when OG "Ardcore, Bring It Bitches-Mode kicks-in... do not know how it works with terrifying, giving myself a concussion to forget that/those voices and, umm, shapes, but your OG Level is 10 for at least 15minutes IRL. Great build, effects, cast, mixing, and locations! seven minutes from the end and loving it! Buying an axe tomorrow...
The fact that he published it under his own name is where the guilt came from though. You can still publish works under the author's name regardless of whether they're alive or dead.
Watching all the way from Maldives. Amazing short film! Absolutely loved it!! The cast, directing, sound design, background music, concept, cinematography, story and over all the whole film is really a thrilling, entertaining, suspenseful and deep ride!! I personally, love the woods and anything that depicts a horror tale cut from the woods, embedded the story somewhere in the woods really touches my soul. And this film has really gave me great inspiration. And for sure, this will be in the top of my list of best horrors (while whole lots of short horrors are just bullshit sometimes). Something really thought provoking about this movie that kept my mind swirling with the winds of a lonesome forest and deeply intertwined with the psychology of the man in this movie and what he’s going through. Amazing script. Very authentic, original and simplicity at its finest! Thanks for making this excellent movie and sharing it with the world.
OHHH, NICE DARK ATMOSPHERE!!! And thats just for starters; I can sincerely say that I can see and hear why this is an award winner!!!!! EXCELLENT!!!!!😎😎😎😎
Thank you all for the massive support. It's truly humbling to see all the kind comments and story theories. In the end any filmmaker makes their movies for one purpose: to entertain you, the viewer. If you want to see another short film I did, my latest 5-minute one is up on the channel here: ua-cam.com/video/ad31MUHcQHo/v-deo.html
this who's the best horror video l have seen yet l have subscribed and turned on your notification's and done a big massive big Bangor of a big fat like to love from your best biggest fan your best friend white special need's and I am autistic lorraine Daniel's UA-cam video's tack really good care and l hope you have a top Christmas and a really happy new year to and God bless you all 😘😘😘🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄
It's about a man terrified of life, scared of fate, stuck in the past and the future at the same time. It's depression and all these symptoms, trauma, maybe schizophrenia as well. In a way, it's harassment. Here, it is described as a "joke" by those around him. This reinforces the feeling of being misunderstood and alone. Especially since during all this horrible "joke", no one thought it was a bad idea, no one helped him once. Mental health is as important as physical health and yet much more complex to understand. Learning about mental health means knowing yourself better, understanding yourself better, and potentially knowing and understanding others better. inform yourself in priorities about depressive and/or suicidal behaviors🙇🏻♂️ ✊🏼
Sean this film was amazing. I was on the edge the entire time just wanting more. Great acting directing story arch. Just fantastic. I can not wait to see you doing a Hollywood blockbuster w a 2 hour run time. So good
Pretty silly responses from the other two who realized their friend just got killed by their folly actions. Still a good movie...John clearly lost it by that time...Thanks for the upload!
Wow how am I just now seeing this? I've watched 100+ horror shorts and just came across this today. Beautifully done.. Perfectly balanced. Amazing film!
Ok. I'm a movie reviewer. I mean it. And usually I don't pay much attention to short movies especially in this digital era, also it's practically impossible to scary me with some monsters imaginable or not I mean in the context of a certain movie because I'm incredibly experienced in this particular genre of horror it's actually my favourite one but now I prefer more specifically an existential horror. Anyways I should say I loved what I've just seen. It was fantastic. In fact I WAS scared by those monstrous entities. What a gorgeous creation! I think I nailed the plot. And for me it's pretty simple but it's certainly time tested one and you took a skeleton and built muscles on your own liking and I like it as well. I love setting, the cast did so well, the atmosphere and the picture were just right in my opinion for this kind of plot. It was pure joy! Thank you, keep it up and good luck! Subscribed.❤ Btw the forest setting always works like no other. I'm grateful for a beautiful camera work, man. And also the background for ending titles was stunning.
Fucking AMAZING job, SeanvL and EVERYBODY involved in this! This is my first ever comment on one of those short films, I think. Really superb job! Was extra enjoyable with a beer! :D
Dang. What a psychological thriller with a little Donnie Darko thrown in. My question is why the people who was terrorizing the writer didn't get hauled away? Man was doing what anyone else would have done. Guess the law turned a blind eye on them.
That´s what kinda ruins it for me. Inspiring someone to write novel by terrorizing someone so much that he almost goes insane, to the point of them getting in his house, and being all mad that he axes one of them. For me, it would be a lot better if we saw an ending like he kept getting more and more insane
Yes, the film did indeed get the award for "Best Axe Swinging by an Actor 🪓"
Tell me you’ve never swung an axe, without telling me 😂
I was surprised that he accidentally hit right at least once.😅
I would imagine,,probably prank no one in this day and age..😅..you never know who they might beeeeeee
lmao omg hell yes dude
HAHAHAHAHAH i was gunna say. dude imagine making a whole 30 min epic short horror and the only thing that stuck out was the horrific axe swing by an actor. OH MAN....i mean...that has to hurt.
"Let's break into the angry and paranoid man's home to play a prank on him."
"The one that threatened to kill multiple townsfolk? Including me, his neighbor? Count me in!"
"Oh no! He defended his home and killed a masked intruder! He's craaaazzzyyy! Lock him up!"
Yea for real lol
Right?
Well, that's kinda how it goes in real life, in a more subtle way.
You forgot about the bright idea of setting the man's car on fire.
They're lucky he didn't kill them all.
In real life John definitely wouldnt be put away for killing that guy because Beth and her friends wouldve been the ones in trouble for doing what they did that night. He was defending himself.
Yeah lol. What do you expect if you show up at his house at night dressed up as killers, pretend to kill his dog, and his friend omg.
Absolutely..glad someone else seen it that way. Plus they already knew he was becoming fucked up and paranoid definitely their fault he wouldn't go to prison and certainly not a mental institution
@@detroitlionspistonstigersr6735 I mean. he wouldn't go to jail. certainly not. at least not in America. however he may or may not have gone to an institution for a time, considering he was showing a rather high level of aggression and acting overly confrontational. his friends would certainly have gone to jail for the things they did however, of that there is no question.
Maybe he wasn’t put away. Maybe he had himself committed.
@@sickboy7104 that is a definite possibility, honestly
This is the ultimate "it's just a prank, bro"
Omg..right?? Lmfao
How good would it be if this was a series though
Yeah killing a dog and setting a car on fire is definitely a prank isn't it yeah didn't think so
That person would be died too lol
Like we said in France: So, we don't have the same sense of humour!
😱🤔🖕..... 😉
The moral of the story is: you probably shouldn't play pranks of paranoid schizophrenic's lol
Tbh schizophrenics don't have the same hallucinations generally
you probably shouldnt prank someone by burning their car, kidnapping their dog , fake hanging their neighbor and breaking into his barn to set up messed up shit wearing masks so you wont be recognized
@@pinguinlord1319 If someone kindapping my dog and i will find him, i put him in french lost forest, locked on a tree, i let him died by thirst. He can yelling all his soul, nobody can hurd him. (Sorry my english is rotten).
So, another real story, a friend has been almost kidnapped by men, they tried tu put her in a car. She was totaly panicked! (Normal, and she already raped young), so she go to the police station, explains. Cop said: it's probably a prank of your friends! ???????? What? Are you morons? Huh, she knows the faces of their friends no? And what a "funny" prank! No, we don't do that sorry!
This isnt even a prank. Any normal person would have reacted the same way
im so glad the dog didnt actually get killed
Some trees sure did get chopped
brownsFan62 but the animal didn’t die 👌🏼😊
Thanks for spoiling it .. female douche
@@kimmyqueen8009 go brownies
Sorry 😐
A paranoid and driven to danger man, along with being a struggling writer, pushed to the edge by a group doing a sick prank that worsened him.
Honestly can’t see full blame on his side.
To all the people complaining that it will be the end of days till he chops down that tree....thats exactly the point....the tree is his guilt....he tries to cut down bis guilt but isnt able to. Thats why the „Monster“ is always depicted as a tree. Part of the metaphor.
Thats also why he is killing the dude with the axe...quite nice touch.
🕵️
oooooooh
cops showed up and were like, "they were just trying to inspire you John, Jesus man."
😅😅😅
This guy's going to take a week to fell a tree.
They gave him a dull axe and said get to work lol
Hahahahaha
I thought this was going to be a comedy at first because of how he was cutting down that tree.
He was swinging that ax like a sissy, like he'd never held one in his life!!
Glad I wasn't the only one who thought this 🤣
I think it's Bull crap that he got in trouble for killing that guy, crazy or not ,those people kinda asked for something to happen. Who trys to inspire someone like that?
Yeah that part was weak and I'm not sure I understood what the trees were saying at the end, lol
I figure being made a murderer like that would've caused a worse a nervous breakdown, he was probably going to be institutionalized regardless of being in trouble or not.
@@davidtrueslayor7474 What are you doing John, the show is not over, your terror has only just begun, begun, begun, beguuuuuuunnnnn
Lol awesome!
@@davidtrueslayor7474 hahaha
I'm always fearful when there's a pet involved. You know they're gonna go for it. This was quite the psyche!
I know. As an animal lover It always makes me nervous too
HAHA same.
When the animal gets hurt, I get angie >:[
It's such a predictable and tired trope to have a pet or random unfortunate animal that you just KNOW is gonna be killed off sooner or later...just like the stupid BS jumpscares that are equally overused
24:00 This was a JOKE? They deserved what they got. There is NOTHING FUNNY about what they were doing.
The guy playing John does a spectacular job, by the way.
Just a prank, bro! No kidding, what horrible "friends"
This event pretty much ruined what was a great suspense-building story. Totally unbelievable, no one would ever "help" someone like that.
Not only are they terrible practical jokers, but they are terrible in an emergency situation too. Someone just got axed to death in front of them and they don't do anything at all, they just stand around being useless. Pronouncing people dead after looking at them doesn't count as useful! No checking vitals, no calling emergency. They don't even run away, or take the axe away. At least the tree people keep their heads in an emergency!
When you hit the 3 dots on the right edge of a post it is to report that post. So, then they give you I believe, 5 options to choose from as to explain the reason you are reporting the post to begin with. I kind of wish it looked more like this:
⚫ Spam
⚫ Pornography or explicit material
⚫ Child Abuse
⚫ Hate speech
⚫ Harrassment or bullying
🔘 Carelessly ruining the video for everyone who reads the comments by neglecting to just start the post with "Spoiler Alert!!!"
I can imagine this as something a scummy youtuber would do, with a title like:
SCARING OUR FRIEND AND KILLING HIS DOG (NOT CLICKBAIT) (GARY DIED!!!!!!) *COPS CALLED*
Great film!!
"Are you inspired?"
John: "Maybe, I just need to ax you a few questions..."
😂😂😂 This comment is award-worthy!
Let me axe you sumptin - why you makin fun a me?
god damn it not again john you can't keep getting away with those dad jokes
I draw the line for practical jokes before arson and harassment
I thought it was going a different direction and he was the one doing the stuff to himself then thinking someone else did it
@@Daltonleach11duuuude so did I. Like secret window. Instead it was just a bunch of shitty people who thought harassment and felonies was a funny prank
i've been rewatching this for a bit to see if I can figure out what the three dark figures each represent, since one of them is obviously Angela as John recognized her. My current hypothesis is these are the lives that he has and will ruin/end; Angela, for stealing her work and maybe even killing her, the guy playing a prank on him he kills with an axe and himself as he is consumed by them as a result of his horrible life choices. I feel like there may be another explanation, but this has really stuck in my head for some time. Great work!
dang I didn't really think about that
There are tons and a little pile of short horror films on UA-cam. I've watched half of it in the past 3 days. It's beyond nice to stumble upon one that is made so professionally. Huge praise to everyone involved!
this one's one of the worst i've seen
@@RaoulRamsaran It was good... Until that "it's a prank" LMAO what? Who pulls off pranks like that?
@@RaoulRamsaran Yes I didnt enjoy this one. I am sorry to say I didnt know what was going on & it was too dark.
have you all ever watched hindi short horror movies in youtube with help of english subtitles it gives you another taste
Wow! "There are tons and a little pile", you say? Well, which is it mate? Bit of a contradiction there ay Mick? Lol 😊 Cheerio!
That was a great story! I feel so bad that they pushed that poor man over the edge to do what he did. Helping him?! Making him sleep deprived to the point of hallucinations, and they knew he was losing it and then his dog? Then they seemed surprised.
Great story,acting and production. Made me feel like it could have been real,wow! Thank you for that wild ride and stay safe !
Holy shit. For graduation film, and really just short horror films in general, this is pretty amazing.
I've been watching these all day. I've been more terrified by most of these short horror films than any Hollywood or high budget movies of this genre. I'm not big on gore I like psychological thrillers. Why aren't all these talented filmmakers able to get funding. I would have loved to see a lot of these be full length. A 5 or 10 minute film has stuck with me all night. I left my light on tonight because I couldn't stop thinking about these stories. BRAVO LADIES & GENTLEMEN. YOU HAVE A LIFELONG VIEWER. Thanks for the sleepless night.😗😞😳😥😢😰😰😭😭 Love it.
Would you care to recomend some psychological thrillers?
Shorts and long movies.
I love them.
@@arturcarreira8595The Voices (with Ryan Reynolds) Such a disturbing & fabulous film 👀
@@arturcarreira8595u probably already watched them, but try ALTER, they make AMAZING horror films, it’s always deeper than “just demons”
@@arturcarreira8595 anything from Curry Barker. “The Chair” is really good.
This is the lamest short horror film I’ve seen
pov: you've been watching horror film shorts for nearly an hour and it's approaching 430am
Holy crap! With friends like that, who needs enemies!
I really liked this mini movie! It has the potential to be expanded into a long movie...that I'd gladly pay to see! I actually watched twice so I could catch more of the subtle nuances going on in the background. I'm a horror movie fanatic! Lol. So I watch the good ones over and over to see what I missed the first time around. Your story was great! And I hope to watch more of your productions! Good luck!!
Thanks a lot Jeannie, really cool you watched it twice!!
@@SeanvL that just proves how good your mini movie is! Lol. I LOVE scary movies and more so if they make me think. I hope and pray you go far in the movie industry!
Loving the ambience and spooky vibe/color scheme throughout
Really captures the state he’s in
1iuwuwywuwuwhshsusjsushsushwuwhwuwuwhwuwuwhu
If the dog gets hurt, I’m unliking.
EDIT: The pupper was okay. The film made you think the dog was killed, but it wasn’t - it was just implied.
Why is this guy chopping the tree like that?
Because he doesn't have a chainsaw?
@@bullseyenow1 Funny answer!
This was the first time the actor had ever seen an axe, obviously.
Came here to say the same thing
@@Aaron-tj9le same
The lead actors expressions were so intense with his frowning eyebrows
Yup...
poor chap is suffering from Late Stage Mark-Wahlberg Browitus.
Ok I had to admit, I’m actually here because of David. But good job! This is great for a short film. I wish I can slap some sense into the people that decided to play ‘joke’ on him.
I swear he was told to make it look like you're chopping down the tree "but don't hurt it"!
Fr
Dam.. This is some cinema level shit, Nice job!
Cool
Nice
Its stromedy the clickbait master
Clickbait youtuber
His vids may be clickbait but they are entertaining
At the end, I would've been like "they all broke into my shed at which I had to use self defense" just to keep me outta the coo coo house
that dog is a good actor. and I thought the lighting was great
He kept his cool better than most dogs. Others would have barked more than once in the first 12 minutes.
Phenomenal short from beginning to end; writing, directing, acting, best of this genre I’ve seen. The lead reminds me of a young Michael Biehn. So well crafted, I love the creatures and driving guilt.
Thanks so much!!
They all should be arrested for playing practical jokes on innocent people
Yeah
Uh, he was hardly "innocent"...like he KILLED his wife! Duh!
@@JolieUTU We don't know whether he actually killed his wife or not. He said he "betrayed" her which let to her dying. Most likely suicide, drug abuse, something like that...
@@dangazobiton9774 No, he betrayed her by stealing her book after she died and taking credit for writing it himself.
@i camouf all on ya yeah, I don't think so, I think the betrayal was stealing the book
It’s a fantastic film. I just can’t imagine how they couldn’t see the horrifying effect their joke, or intended inspiration was actually having on him. It brought out his psychosis so fully. I don’t think anyone could have blamed him for thinking they were trying to kill him since he fully believed they murdered his neighbor and dog. What creepy ass selfish people. All to get a good book out of the poor obviously very damaged guy. But still this was really well done. Perfect lead actor. His intensity was spot on💫
That was amazing! I'd completely forgot that it was a short!
Thanks a bunch Meredith! Glad you enjoyed it :)
I think you did a fantastic job with everything aside from the ending, the ending was a bit rough, but seriously amazing storytelling :) Aside from issues with the conviction / mental hospital ending, my only issue after viewing is the idea multiple people would think this progression of “pranks” wouldn’t end horribly is just too hard to believe for me. It went from egging his windows, to ding-dong-ditching in the night, to setting his car on fire, to breaking into his home to leave creepy things, to breaking in while he’s sleeping, kidnapping his dog and making him think he was dead… the most extreme instances being after he began looking unhinged and threatened to kill everyone standing in town. This is the last person ANY reasonable person would fuck with… however there’s the argument that the entire thing was a karmic face slap for stealing his ex’s story and publishing it as his own, like fate working through others around him to make him suffer deeper than they know about, or they’re just super helpful midwestern/canadian people who go to the extreme to help a friend that can’t think of a story 😂 Anyway just wanted to give my thoughts, I think the main characters story is very compelling, I also immediately loved that he told Paco “you stay here” when he went to check shit out 😂 that’s true love right there
That actor playing as John...AWESOME!!!
Literally the only thing keeping him from doing crazy things was the dog, and they took it from him
Definitely got that Stephen King's "Secret Window" vibe to it, that was the first thing that crossed my mind
Zero trees were cut down in this mans lumberjacking carrier.
Some really creative, professional work went into this and I’m really glad I watched this. Usually the short ones are a bit amateur and a bit pants, but this had me on the edge of my seat! Thank you!
Thank you Stevie!
The tension and the atmosphere generated in this film is amazing. Poor man driven to insanity, ugh!
Here for David Clark (Captain Allen from DBH), stay for such an incredible short fim. This is a masterpiece. 👏👏 What they were doing to John are really scary and haunting. I can't imagine going through their 'jokes' plus his haunting guilt and don't breakdown in the end.
This was awesome. I felt more suspense than I imagined. Quality cinema work, good leading actor and thankfully nothing bad happened to the dog. Great job! I really enjoyed it!
I subbed last night...looking forward to viewing your other films.
Same I. Love it
The writer is creepier than what ever it is that he's afraid of. (Example: when he opens the outside door after the banging.) Really good job.
Wow! We just hit 1M views. I never even dreamt we would've reached that kind of viewership. Thanks so much everyone, we have a lot of good stuff coming.
If you'd like more creepy shorts please have a look at our latest Halloween short "IT SEES YOU": ua-cam.com/video/2EbAF6vwNGM/v-deo.html
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Did he kill his wife? What do the men cutting the trees mean? In other words: what does the title mean?
I just discovered your film today and I can say it's one of the best. IMHO it is a thriller/mistery, more than a horror movie. I mean I was not scared but couldn't wait to find out what was going on. Must say that the ending was totally unexpected: good work! :)
Cheers from Italy and happy 2022
@@raffaelevalente7811 good questions, it was a great short, but sadly, another one that had an open end. My take would be that John took the unfinished book from his wife/gf Angela after she had died, published it and made the money and publicity Angela deserved but never got, he feels guilty because of that. Why Woods, why woodworkers dunno, but because Beth asks John regularly inside the restaurant(?) how his novel goes I would atleast assume that John came there for inspiration, for his next and probably his first book ever, which, he got..
But why's the first line you will hear: "Do you like puppet shows?" is this some sort of '''joke''' because of the book title 'Dark Strings' or do they play with him? and why's the 'Show not over'? Lets say the first and big dark ghost(?) could be Angela, but who are the other 2? There are probably many hidden gems you could find and analyze, but, i'll pass on that one, its getting late, lol.
@@deineMudda952 IMO those are not ghosts. After all he is not a murderer: he is schizophrenic. He has never and will never be a writer. It is clear during the last seconds of the short, when he writes "Dark Strings II" on the three pages with a pencil in the asylum room (BTW, there is no bed nothing in that room: why?)
That waitress at least should have realized that he wasn't on the verge of writing a story, but on the verge of being really steamed.
WOW. THIS WAS AMAZING! I THOUGHT I WAS WATCHING A FULL LENGTH FILM
This is well presented, plotted, acted and delivered!! The writer,actor, and director have a lot of talent, as I can see the whole team talent is what made this work🎥🎉!!!😉
Big film industries would have paid millions to make something this good.
"Have you ever swung an axe before?"
"Never. I've never even seen an axe."
"Perfect. We're gonna have you chop down a tree."
John, you mind telling me what you're doing with that axe?
John: Finishing the fight
Morale of the story, you can commit any crime and then go "it was a joke"
First of all: big wow. The guy who played the main character is fucking great and I genuinely hope his career skyrockets. I'm sure he could do some amazing things in the world of cinema.
Secondly: great cinematography and atmosphere all round.
(edit): Found out the name of the guy is David Clark. He's been in minor roles in a few big blockbuster, but my god should he be getting those major roles for intelligent art films or thrillers.
I love how you incorporate real-life elements into your stories. It makes them even more believable and scary. Can't wait for the next one!
Absolutely beautifully shot film. I loved the eerie crackling sound of branches breaking when the 3 evil entities appear before the main character, John. The location of filming really helped solidify his lonely surroundings. I loved this film! Great job in catching the horror of his situation!
It can get scary, then someone foxtrots with your pup. That is when OG "Ardcore, Bring It Bitches-Mode kicks-in... do not know how it works with terrifying, giving myself a concussion to forget that/those voices and, umm, shapes, but your OG Level is 10 for at least 15minutes IRL. Great build, effects, cast, mixing, and locations! seven minutes from the end and loving it!
Buying an axe tomorrow...
Not bad; they should do a part 2 wanna see what happens next
really good movie and concept. but please teach that actor how to swing an axe, i had to rewind it so many times because i could not believe it xD
Handsome dude. Some Stephen King's vibe...
Secret Window? I thought the same.
They say me and him favor
Handsome? Ew lol
Thank you 😁
The lead in this is incredibly good. (The sound, cinematography and editing is top shelf too. Nice work!)
If you had a better pillow you'd have better sleep!
Excellent movie. I loved the music and sound effects.
That dude was never gonna get through that tree swinging like that
The moment he revealed that he had published Dark Strings presumably because his wife/girlfriend died made my heart drop...💔
The fact that he published it under his own name is where the guilt came from though. You can still publish works under the author's name regardless of whether they're alive or dead.
This reminds me of the ending to catacombs...."it was all a big joke".....I'm laughing
perfect example of taking a prank too far..
Idk where this was filmed but it’s so pretty.. the houses the restaurant the woods.. all the split wood around.. love it so mucj
Watching all the way from Maldives. Amazing short film! Absolutely loved it!! The cast, directing, sound design, background music, concept, cinematography, story and over all the whole film is really a thrilling, entertaining, suspenseful and deep ride!! I personally, love the woods and anything that depicts a horror tale cut from the woods, embedded the story somewhere in the woods really touches my soul. And this film has really gave me great inspiration. And for sure, this will be in the top of my list of best horrors (while whole lots of short horrors are just bullshit sometimes). Something really thought provoking about this movie that kept my mind swirling with the winds of a lonesome forest and deeply intertwined with the psychology of the man in this movie and what he’s going through. Amazing script. Very authentic, original and simplicity at its finest! Thanks for making this excellent movie and sharing it with the world.
Thanks so much! Hope it inspires you to make great things.
Lol 4:27 dog like oh hell no plz don’t make me go over there
Excellent acting, excellent atmosphere. I'm dying to know what he did to that woman to be so tormented.
He shouldn’t have went to a psychic ward they shld have for playing that dang prank!!!! Loved it
Great acting!!!! I love this main guy, John! He did phenomenal!!
That exit from the cafe @ 14:37 though.
The acting! Wow, just wow. Who ARE these actors?
kijanailis David Clark is the main man! He played a couple small roles and a background character in the game Detroit: Become Human (SWAT captain)
OHHH, NICE DARK ATMOSPHERE!!! And thats just for starters; I can sincerely say that I can see and hear why this is an award winner!!!!! EXCELLENT!!!!!😎😎😎😎
Thank you all for the massive support. It's truly humbling to see all the kind comments and story theories. In the end any filmmaker makes their movies for one purpose: to entertain you, the viewer.
If you want to see another short film I did, my latest 5-minute one is up on the channel here: ua-cam.com/video/ad31MUHcQHo/v-deo.html
Congratulations It's one of the creepiest Short Horror Film that I've ever seen 👏👏👏
Excellent work. Keep them coming!
Man that was briliant. Thankyou!
this who's the best horror video l have seen yet l have subscribed and turned on your notification's and done a big massive big Bangor of a big fat like to love from your best biggest fan your best friend white special need's and I am autistic lorraine Daniel's UA-cam video's tack really good care and l hope you have a top Christmas and a really happy new year to and God bless you all 😘😘😘🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄
I LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE YOU lots for live you sweetheart beautifull best friend for live 🙏🙏🙏😘😘😘
Incredible short film. Cinematography, set design, and sound design were absolutely impeccable.
it was a joke..oh thanks...awesome friends
One of you is ded, but since it was a joke, all is forgiven. Happy ending.
This is absolutely INCREDIBLE! I am speechless. This film is one of my new favorites
I'm actually impressed. Good short movie, nice twist, good visual experience.
The poor man thought his dog was dead and they expected him to react rationally? Hell no
at this point i've seen so many monsters that i don't even react to them anymore
Which was the 1st u saw?
It's about a man terrified of life, scared of fate, stuck in the past and the future at the same time. It's depression and all these symptoms, trauma, maybe schizophrenia as well. In a way, it's harassment. Here, it is described as a "joke" by those around him. This reinforces the feeling of being misunderstood and alone. Especially since during all this horrible "joke", no one thought it was a bad idea, no one helped him once. Mental health is as important as physical health and yet much more complex to understand.
Learning about mental health means knowing yourself better, understanding yourself better, and potentially knowing and understanding others better. inform yourself in priorities about depressive and/or suicidal behaviors🙇🏻♂️
✊🏼
Sean this film was amazing. I was on the edge the entire time just wanting more. Great acting directing story arch. Just fantastic. I can not wait to see you doing a Hollywood blockbuster w a 2 hour run time. So good
Oh wanted to ask where you filmed this??
@@burghman8000 Thank you so much Brant! The film was made entirely in Liberec, Czech Republic.
Awesome just awesome short the best in a long while great screenplay and acting done well wish it was an 2 hour movie again kudos great job!!!!
Pretty silly responses from the other two who realized their friend just got killed by their folly actions. Still a good movie...John clearly lost it by that time...Thanks for the upload!
Serious ‘Donnie Darko’ vibes. With friends like Beth, who needs enemies?
That might be the most inefficient chopping form I've ever seen.
Can’t help it, it needs to be said. That guy can’t swing an axe for the life of him.
hahah it killed me every time
What a wonderfully suspenseful short film.
Wow how am I just now seeing this? I've watched 100+ horror shorts and just came across this today. Beautifully done.. Perfectly balanced. Amazing film!
Damn, it's like he's having a fever dream he can't wake up from.
Love the music and sound FX. Very nice
Award-winning? Must have been a participation trophy.
Ok. I'm a movie reviewer. I mean it. And usually I don't pay much attention to short movies especially in this digital era, also it's practically impossible to scary me with some monsters imaginable or not I mean in the context of a certain movie because I'm incredibly experienced in this particular genre of horror it's actually my favourite one but now I prefer more specifically an existential horror. Anyways I should say I loved what I've just seen. It was fantastic. In fact I WAS scared by those monstrous entities. What a gorgeous creation! I think I nailed the plot. And for me it's pretty simple but it's certainly time tested one and you took a skeleton and built muscles on your own liking and I like it as well. I love setting, the cast did so well, the atmosphere and the picture were just right in my opinion for this kind of plot. It was pure joy! Thank you, keep it up and good luck! Subscribed.❤ Btw the forest setting always works like no other. I'm grateful for a beautiful camera work, man. And also the background for ending titles was stunning.
The Way he swings that axe
Nobody:
Artist making a circle: 6:20
Fucking AMAZING job, SeanvL and EVERYBODY involved in this! This is my first ever comment on one of those short films, I think. Really superb job!
Was extra enjoyable with a beer! :D
Thank so much, means a lot to us!
You may not like it, but this guy's axe work is what peak performance looks like! 😂😂😂
Dang. What a psychological thriller with a little Donnie Darko thrown in. My question is why the people who was terrorizing the writer didn't get hauled away? Man was doing what anyone else would have done. Guess the law turned a blind eye on them.
They should have been done for manslaughter at least
That´s what kinda ruins it for me. Inspiring someone to write novel by terrorizing someone so much that he almost goes insane, to the point of them getting in his house, and being all mad that he axes one of them. For me, it would be a lot better if we saw an ending like he kept getting more and more insane