Horror Short Review: 11PM (2021)

The average time that an adult goes to sleep is 11pm. According to missing persons data, it is also the time that most disappearances occur, commonly attributed to drunkenness at closing time.

As you make your way home or close your eyes to sleep, remember the only rule…

Never be alone at 11PM.

With that text scrawl, 11PM sets up its unnerving story. A story that is atmospherically deep and dark.

Shot completely in black in white, JP Thompson has crafted a classy short movie here. Jumping from shots of quiet streets, empty shops and different people enjoying the nightlife. Be it a busy pub, a fairground, getting a taxi, writing or just having some peaceful time together overlooking the city. People from all walks of life making the most of their time as the clock ticks slowly towards 11PM.

It seems random but there’s a sense of threat looming as the night draws on. The silence… it’s such a major component of this horror. You can feel it hanging thickly in the air. It is very disconcerting.

The unnerving sense of something coming is felt keenly as the short takes its time. There are no characters to follow as you might normally expect, rather, it’s like following real people who are completely unaware that their time is limited. There’s almost a voyeuristic sense to the filming style.

The seconds and minutes continue to tick by as the sense of time dissipates. How many times have you been out for the night, having a blast, and been shocked to find it far later than you expected?

11PM is an investment. At just short of 30 minutes, it spends a lot of time working on atmosphere and you have to be willing to allow it to wrap itself around you. Just what is the payoff for this investment?

You don’t want it spoiled. All you need to know is that it will chill. A triumphant horror short, you can watch it yourself below.