‘The Thing in the Apartment’ is a Brilliant Short (Review)

John Ross’ The Thing in the Apartment is precisely the kind of short film a fanatical nut like myself can get into. The film relies more on a looming dread than an abundance of jump scares, and when we do get those jump scares there’s something atypically subtle about them (think about that scene in Ouija: Origins of Evil in which the youngest daughter stares the glass in the middle of the planchette and catches this fleeting glimpse of whatever it is inside). That makes those moments all the more chilling.

Sure, it’s nice seeing an inspired and ambitious little monster movie, but it has always been the human side to these tales (and believable performances, which we get here) that snag my attention (that’s not to say that the “thing” in her apartment doesn’t look damn cool).

How does the victim respond? Is the victim willing to fight back? And what happens if the victim freezes, a savage monster just feet away?

That’s all brain food, and I find that extremely stimulating.

In the film you’re about to see below, Lindsay realizes, as she lays in bed, that there’s someone in the room with her. One brief jump scare later and we have a good idea of what it is. Lindsay’s idea, however – to call her friend, Sam for support – is a disastrous one. Someone will not make it through this paralyzing situation, and you need to see it!

This is a tremendous little picture, and it has the right kind of setup that could potentially spawn a full-length feature.

I’m game for that!

Watch the movie below.

Rating: 5/5