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Short horror film ‘The Girl in the Street’ follows Malachi, a young man who moves to a small town for a new job, leaving his ailing sister behind. But almost as soon as he settles into the new place, he begins hearing the desperate wails of a woman, before spotting an injured masked stranger crying out on the street. Should he help her or could getting involved lead to terrifying consequences?
Created by Chris Paicely and Miles August, ‘The Girl in the Street’ opens with Malachi (Shawn Roundtree) attending an online job interview, and something immediately feels off about the recruiter’s demeanor. Regardless, an optimistic Malachi relocates for the opportunity, only for his first interaction with the local movers to turn unpleasant when they judge him for not going to church. From there on, things only spiral further downhill.
Shawn Roundtree makes the most of his screentime, convincingly portraying the fear, anxiety, and growing paranoia of a young man who barely gets a moment to breathe before strange events begin unfolding around him. Malachi even reaches out to the police about the mysterious woman, but they prove to be little help.
There’s ample tension and eerie suspense surrounding the crying woman through the runtime as the creators cleverly avoid fully showing what she looks like until the climactic moments. This keeps the viewer constantly intrigued, never quite sure whether Malachi is dealing with an actual injured woman, something supernatural, or something far more sinister.
Unlike most horror films drenched in darkness, ‘The Girl in the Street’ takes place largely in broad daylight, making Malachi’s fear feel even more uncomfortable and real. The horror here isn’t just supernatural. The film subtly hints at how, as a Black American man, Malachi is wary of stepping into a dangerous situation, knowing the consequences could be devastating for him in ways that have nothing to do with ghosts or demons.
At just sixteen minutes long, ‘The Girl in the Street’ draws clear inspiration from Get Out and The Wicker Man, and some of those influences definitely show. However, the short runtime also means the film never quite gets under your skin as much as it could have.
Watch The Girl in the Street on YouTube.
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