On Saturday evening, I found myself on the 8th floor of HMP Lounge in Westlands Business Park for a small screening of four horror shorts, thanks to MymoviesAfrica.
The relaxed setting caught me off guard—after all, we were here to watch horror films. Arriving a bit early, so I did what most of you do when they're trying and failing in killing time took out my phone and exercised my thumb. A few minutes later, a few trailers played, then the room went dark, it was time.
“Potential” is the first word that comes to mind. This short isn’t strictly horror but more of a drama focusing on mental health. Some of the cinematography was impressive, especially the lighting and blocking in a club scene.
The lead’s performance could have been better, but Tamara Mercy I thought was good. The music—though it occasionally made the short feel like a music video—added to the atmosphere. Costuming was fitting, and there’s a moment where editing and music blend well to create an interesting sequence.
However, the film didn’t feel polished and cinematic, particularly in pacing, even when the structure and story works. Some performances, like the friends, felt too theatrical.
The cinematography was claustrophobic, with very few wide establishing shots in the house, which would have given scenes a more cinematic look. Still, I respect the filmmakers’ ambition and hope to see more refined work from them in the future.
The Collector
The first true horror short of the night, The Collector stood out visually—credit to the colourist for creating a distinct look. The atmospheric tone was achieved with wide shots and environmental effects, like slow, sweeping shots of curtains blowing in the wind.
The story took a generic yet interesting direction, and the performances were solid, with characters convincingly selling the scenario without going overboard.
One thing that felt out of place was the doll, which didn’t align with the Kenyan artifacts in the house. It would’ve felt more authentic with a Kenyan object. The “dark figure” could also have benefited from an African mask rather than a generic hoodie.
Somewhere to Stay
Candles came to mind as this second horror short came to an end. It’s a performance-driven piece, with George Mo delivering a gripping portrayal as the primary threat an intruder and Vaishali Morjaria as the protagonist, the resident/homeowner.
The story centres on her character fighting off an intruder, and I was impressed by the makeup effects and creative use of candlelight.
It’s a very short film, and by the abrupt end, I had more questions than answers. Why didn’t the character seek help from neighbors or the police? The film left too much unexplored.
When It Rains
Not a horror film and like 8th Victim, “potential” and “drama” come to mind here. The opening scene utilised editing effectively to hook viewers, and a scene where shadows are used creatively when the protagonist has to face himself added to the suspense. There's also a decent fight scene.
However, the performances felt theatrical, partly due to a weaker screenplay. The story was overly and unnecessarily complex, and a bit of color distinction would have clarified certain scenes. An initial scene with shadowed confrontation was genius, but later, placing the character in light together took away from this powerful setup. I also thought the audio/dialogue could have been better.
This film could have benefitted from a more thoughtful cinematic approach because like the first film this too felt unpolished.
Q&A
A panel of three, Dantez Mwendwa, Vaishali Morjaria and Calvin Oyula moderated by Mike Strano, gave insight into the filmmakers' ambitions, challenges, and sacrifices. With the production team behind "8th Victim" and "When It Rains", they need to up their game even with the challenges, there’s room for improvement— down to basic elements like title cards.
