The Dead Record

Director - Nate Thompson (Cult Affairs, The Cult Leader)

Starring - Madelein Malice, Dakota Musarelli, and Nate Thompson

Release Date - 2022

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "In the dark it waits"

Format - Streaming (YouTube)

Rating (out of 5):

     Sometime ago I was contacted by filmmaker Nate Thompson to review his horror short The Cult Leader.  The short really impressed me and I was quick to befriend him on Facebook so I could keep an eye on his upcoming projects.  Since then he has began work on a new short titled The Dead Record and when he finished it he was kind enough to send a link over for me to check out.  I want to thank Nate for keeping Horror Society in mind when it was finished so we could check it out.

    The film follows a record store employee who has a package dropped off by a mysterious stranger.  When a co-worker arrives he decides to give the record contained inside it a listen.  Before long he finds himself drifting off to sleep and is soon tormented by a female demon.

     The Dead Record is one of the few horror shorts that kind of doesn't work as a short.  It's leaves too many questions unanswered and with a little more writing and exploration it could be a damn good feature film.  Regardless, it's a fun short but I can't help but wonder what it would have been like if the backstory was fully explored.  The acting in this one is very solid.  The cast is small but everyone carries their own weight very well.  Nate is great as record store clerk and really shines during the darker scenes.  His small talk is a little awkward at times but nothing that takes away from the film.  The supporting cast is great as well but I feel like there could be more screen time for Malice and her character.  She was very underutilized.  The story for this one is a super short spin on Lords of Salem where we find someone that receives a mysterious record that has a supernatural connection.  It's fun for a short but I need more like why this particular record, where did it come from, and who was the guy that dropped it off.  It's cool to leave some things up for the viewer's imagination but these questions really need answered for the film to be effective.  I like it as it is but it doesn't live up to it's full potential.  Finally, the film has some cool make-up effects and the demon looks cool but a little on the generic side.  However, if you are looking for blood then you will be very disappointed.  Overall, The Dead Record is a fun horror short that can be found streaming on YouTube.  It's nothing groundbreaking but it does bring some enjoyment to the genre.  Check it out.