Run

Directed by Ted Clarke & Joseph Ringland

2023

Apollo Productions

A new six-minute zero-budget short film called Run comes courtesy of a group of student filmmakers at De Montfort University in Leicester.

Directed by Ted Clarke and Joseph Ringland, this horror-thriller opens with a confused man waking up in the woods before running off from an unknown stalker. As he sprints between a host of trees in a densely populated forest, a (somewhat overpowering) score of eerie noises and electronica accompany the action as the pursuit heightens.

As the protagonist eventually stumbles across a remote house, he sneaks in and confronts an unknown assailant with a violent attack. It is here however where the film takes a turn, as the “victim” is seemingly shown to be the same man himself.

He then re-awakens and the hunting continues in a sequence where the two men (or one man?) confront each other before one person escapes. The film suggests a kind of self-harm theme but feels a bit muddled with some experimental editing choices making the short puzzling – yet to be fair, open to interpretation.

Shot around my neck of the woods (literally) in Leicester, the production team previously worked on local mystery film STOP and have once again delved deep into their own particular box of horror and unease.

But given the low (no) budget nature of the film, there’s perhaps a few quality issues that occur frequently in shorts made in people’s “spare-time”. Yet some of these could be tackled with a cost-free fix to develop the frantic editing, some establishing shots and a sound-mix that aligns better with the visuals.

Personally, for me, there also needs to be more “stuff” happening with more plot from the outset. Sadly, in a film of just five minutes there’s 50% time dedicated to “man in woods runs toward house”. The other 50% is “man fights with man in house”.

The film’s content (and style somewhat) is partly influenced by the slasher genre with appropriate camera shakes to add realism and chaos. But perhaps a look at some forest chase scenes from horrors like Overlord (2018) or home invasion films Hush (2016) could tighten up sequences and filmmaking technique overall.

In the end Run seems more experimental that straight out horror. And somewhere underneath the surface is an interesting theme of tackling one’s own self and a battle with a kind of 'mirrored conscience'. If you like a short horror tale with some open-ended questions then Run may be up your street. But for me, despite the valiant efforts of a well-intentioned team, the confusing nature of the filmmaking unfortunately led to more frustration than fright.

★★½

2.5 / 5

Michael Sales

Watch RUN for free on YouTube below: