To those searching for new ideas and concepts within the world of horror, video platforms such as YouTube have become an enormous source of great content, some of which are even made into a real feature film, for example David F. Sandberg's “Lights Out”. Perhaps following in these footsteps is director Daphne Zelle's “Your Face”, a horror short which presents an interesting concept.
“Your Face” is screening at New Filmmakers Los Angeles
We accompany a young man (Yavon Lotan) as he goes on a run through his neighbourhood. As he runs into a girl (Zelle), he apologizes, only to see her face morph into a horrific grimace, which is laughing at him. Feeling he is chased by the monster, he runs a few blocks, only to realize his nightmare has only just begun.
As mentioned before, in terms of themes, the four minutes of the short do not give much to work on, apart from a few hints here and there. The overall idea of the familiar changing into something monstrous is a known concept within the genre, but which certainly knows many facets, with Zelle presenting a twist that might be worthwhile seeing through, perhaps in a longer feature. Lotan gives a solid performance as a man losing his sense of reality and who descends into shock as he sees the extent of the nightmare he has stepped into.
At the same time, the short gives an insight into Zelle's technical prowess and understanding of the genre. The use of Tylor Fuchs's sound design in particular along with the visual design is really effective, making “Your Face” a nice little shocker for genre aficionados.
In the end, “Your Face” is a well-made and interesting horror short, which clearly shows the director's passion for the genre.
