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“What was that?” I asked myself as the end credits of the short horror film “Disco Inferno” rolled in. Directed by Matthew Castellanos, this 19-minute film features Soni Bringas and Stephen Ruffin as the young couple Mel and Brandon, who are gearing up for a dance competition at a new club, where Mel encounters a sinister presence.
“Disco Inferno” begins with a dark and twisted flashback to the 1950s, set in a church where an elderly woman confesses to something terrible. The story then transitions to the 1970s, where the church has been transformed into a trendy nightclub named “Inferno,” yet the venue’s corridors still conceal dark secrets.
Soni Bringas is radiant as Mel, who is dressed in a shiny costume for her dance performance and reminded me of a young Penelope Cruz in some scenes. Just before her big dance, Mel is haunted by an old woman and the plot follows her terrifying ordeal. While the ‘church turned disco’ setting provides an excellent backdrop for the horror short, the story itself lacks compelling depth, and the writers struggle to deliver a significant impact within the short runtime. Although the first half successfully builds some suspense, the pace eventually flattens out, and the scary scenes remain rather tame. The actors deliver what’s expected of them, but the creators fall short in delivering the kind of spine-tingling thrills that a title like “Disco Inferno” promises.
Rating: 4 on 10. You can stream the short film on Netflix.
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