Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Short horror film ‘Mary’s Mixtape’ begins with a scene that could belong to the ‘Stranger Things’ universe: a young woman walks into a isolated spot where a bicycle lies, while some synth pop music plays in the background, and a neon red bold text announces the title. Very ‘Stranger Things’ indeed. But the similarities end with the first minute.
Directed and written by Sam Prim, Mary’s Mixtape stars Lucilla Fell as the titular protagonist, Mary, who begins to experience eerie events after picking up a mixtape from an accident site. Think The Ring, but people are haunted by an audio tape instead of a creepy video recording. So will destroying the mixtape really end her problems?
Interestingly, the audio on the mixtape actually calms its listener, making them feel “euphoric,” even to the point of losing track of time. That sounds like a great album tagline, doesn’t it? The notion that something comforting can also corrupt and haunt its user is fascinating, but despite this intriguing setup, the short film never really becomes frightening.
On a visual level, Mary’s Mixtape does a good job of capturing a retro, analog vibe, and Lucilla Fell’s performance as Mary is convincing throughout. That said, the film settles into a strangely flat tone, never quite building toward any real highs or unsettling lows.
At just thirteen minutes, the short ends up feeling less like a complete horror story and more like a mildly spooky trailer for a much larger feature film that never quite arrives. However, if you’re looking for a little distraction, it might be worth checking out in your break time.
Watch ‘Mary’s Mixtape’ on YouTube.
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