Horror Short Review: Flat (2023)

An award-winning horror short (and it’s easy to see why it won awards), Flat comes from director Michael Skanes, and stars Seth Cassell, Julia Aks, and Caroline Gottlieb.

Rick has had a rough day, but it didn’t start off that way. Returning from a business trip in Vegas, he decides to pass through Joshua Tree having never been there before. However, he ends up getting a flat tyre, leaving him stranded.

Not knowing how to change a tyre, he has no choice but to wait for roadside assistance, and while he waits, he broods over what seems to be his failed marriage.

Deep in thought, he fails to notice the young woman approaching his car until she knocks on his window. Unsure of who she is, but a bit taken in with her confident and flirtatious way, he plays along. Something he will soon regret.

Flat does a good job of building up tension, thanks to the behaviour of both characters and the immediate chemistry they have. When things do inevitably turn bad, it’s actually somewhat of a relief as the expectation of horror makes for an uncomfortable watch. If that wasn’t enough, the short has an extra ‘sting in the tail’ that makes the whole story even more terrifying.

A great horror short that screams expansion. Check it out below.