Countless movie productions are currently on hold with theater releases pushed back nearly a year, but some filmmakers are still managing to work from home. That’s the case for David Sandberg, director of 2019’s Shazam! and 2017’s Annabelle: Creation. He’ll eventually get back to work on crafting a sequel for Billy Batson’s superhero family, but for now, Sandberg has used his self isolation time to make (and release, for free) this short horror movie, Shadowed.
Sandberg’s been doing the at-home thing for awhile in between studio projects, so he knows his stuff, including how to light a film with an IKEA trash can. That’s bonkers, but horror directors get used to operating on slim budgets, and Shadowed would be no exception. He’s got an actress, a darkened room and hallway, and (as the title indicates) homemade shadow effects to terrorize his lead character. Add some well-placed creaks and minimal use of jump scares, and damn, it works, almost too effectively.
As Sandberg also explained on YouTube, Shadowed is a companion piece to another horror short (from way back in 2013, a lifetime ago), Lights Out. I think this project is even scarier? You be the judge.
Watch more of Sandberg’s videos, including behind-the-scenes clips and filmmaking tips, on his YouTube channel.