Horror Short Review: On A Christmas Night (2017)

On A Christmas Night goes the jump scare route and within the first 4 seconds, something flashes across the screen and the loud noise is heard. Annoying? You bet but it’s got some decent tension in there too even if its story is unoriginal.

An eerie melody plays out while we see a woman on a laptop from the back. She is looking at photos of a man in a car park and out on the street. Photos that were taken while he was unaware making you think she is a private investigator or something.

The camera then cuts to her from the front and it is clear she doesn’t enjoy this. We finally get the Christmas connection as the camera cuts to a long view and we see a tree and some modest decorations in her living room.

A knock at her door gets her up but when she opens it, no-one is there. However, there is a chest on the floor. What is inside? It’s hard to say but it looks like a dried-up heart. She is as confused as us when the power then shuts off.

It’s pitch dark inside so to light her way, she grabs her camera and begins snapping away. Can you see what’s coming next?

Each flash of the camera gives us a brief glimpse of the woman and her apartment revealing she is not alone anymore. Something is by the door…

It’s a creepy short as it allows the imagination to run wild but the jump scares get tiresome especially considering it’s only 5 minutes long (including credits). They are effective though as the silence of her apartment makes the sudden turning on of the TV really loud.

It’s got an interesting payoff too, not what many would expect but confirming the sinister nature of the chest that was delivered. Written, directed and edited by Josh Quillin. On A Christmas Night ticks a lot of boxes for horror but not enough for Christmas unfortunately. Remove the shot of the tree and decorations and this could have been anytime of year.

It will make a fair few people jump though.

Check it out yourself below: