Holidays is a collective of short but immersive horror films corresponding with nine calendar holidays, each by a different director. Some of the more notable directors include Kevin Smith (Tusk), Dennis Widmyer (Starry Eyes), and Gary Shore (Dracula Untold.) Holidays premiered this year at the 2016 Tribeca Film festival but is now available on Netflix.
At first, I was a little reluctant thinking that Holidays would be similar to ABC’s of death. I really enjoyed Holidays and would highly recommend it because the directors in this collective were more into great story telling then gore, general disgust and shock value which seemed to be the trend of ABC’s of death.
I can appreciate how difficult telling a captivating horror story in 15 minutes is. You’re limited to the character building and your every second needs to be concise and well planned. The easy way out would be just being disgusting or filling the scene with gore to get a quick reaction but these directors made very successful, unique, macabre, holiday themed and cost effective short films within the time frame. I was impressed.
My favorite story was ‘Father’s Day’ by Anthony Scott Burns. I don’t want to describe too much so that it ruins the tale for you but this one absorbed me into the story and has inspired me deeply with its simplicity. There were no effects, high budget items… just a Walkman, a girl and a story. Though it left off beautifully, I am still wanting more. I will just have to settle for something more from this director in the future. I think it is safe to say I loved this one.
Holidays is a must for any horror lover or really anyone bored and flipping through Netflix.
Let me know which holiday was your favorite!
- xoxo, Pretty Scary
Overall Ratings-- Scare Factor: No jump scares but pretty creepy overall. Worth seeing for sure. Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤
