Top 10 Horror Movies That Started As Short Films

#10: “The Evil Dead” (1981)

Before Bruce Campbell was chainsawing Deadites into pulp, Sam Raimi was just a scrappy film student with a crazy idea. Raimi’s short, “Within the Woods”, was a thirty-minute proof-of-concept made for $1,600, with the hope of impressing financiers and getting a feature-length movie produced. It starred Raimi’s childhood buddy Bruce Campbell as an unlucky camper who falls upon some trouble, and its rough, low-budget gore did indeed convince investors that there was something there. Although, by Raimi’s own account, he had to do a bit of begging. That gamble paid off - “The Evil Dead” became a cult phenomenon and spawned a huge franchise - not to mention Raimi’s career. Without this little short, we might never have gotten the groovy king of campy horror.

#9: “Skinamarink” (2022)

Kyle Edward Ball didn’t start out aiming for theaters. He originally built an online following through the YouTube channel Bitesized Nightmares, in which he would visually recreate people’s scary dreams. His 2020 short film “Heck” distilled that eerie, liminal childhood dread into thirty minutes of unsettling imagery. That short film and its minimalist approach became the blueprint for “Skinamarink,” a full-length feature about two kids trapped in a house that is plagued by nightmare logic, including missing parents and disappearing doors. Thanks to word-of-mouth hype and TikTok virality, the feature became a microbudget sensation, grossing $2.1 million on a budget of just $15,000. Turns out, translating universal childhood fears into movies is terrifyingly effective.

#8: “Trick ‘r Treat” (2007)

Sam the sack-headed Halloween enforcer is now a horror icon, but before that he was just a little cartoon guy in Michael Dougherty’s 1996 animated short “Season’s Greetings.” This two-minute cartoon introduced Sam as we now know him, complete with his orange onesie and burlap sack. About ten years after the short was released, Warner Bros. let Dougherty expand the concept into an anthology film and gave him $12 million to do so. While the movie was straight-to-DVD and failed to make much of an impact at first, it slowly became a cult classic and is now a Halloween staple. Who knew a doodle of a creepy kid with a pumpkin head could grow into one of horror’s most beloved mascots?

#7: “Oculus” (2013)

Mike Flanagan is now one of the leading names in horror, having done a ton of popular Netflix shows and movies like “Doctor Sleep.” But everyone has to start somewhere. Flanagan made the short “Oculus: Chapter 3 - The Man with the Plan” back in 2006, and it featured just one actor in a single room with a mirror. The short was widely acclaimed and quickly generated interest, eventually attracting the attention of Intrepid Pictures. They helped Flanagan expand the movie into a feature-length release, and he got about $5 million to do so. And while the director had trouble expanding the story, he did an admirable job - “Oculus” received good reviews and grossed $44 million. You could say this mirror reflected a bright future.

#6: “When a Stranger Calls” (1979)

Do you know that terrifying urban legend about the killer calling a babysitter from inside the house? It was already a popular tale, but it got even more popular thanks to the first twenty minutes of “When a Stranger Calls.” Arguably the most famous part of the entire movie, the opening scene is based on director Fred Walton’s 1977 short “The Sitter.” Shot for $12,000, the short perfectly captured the tension of a babysitter being stalked over the phone. Despite a very limited release, it impressed producers Barry Krost and Douglas Chapin, who convinced Walton to stretch the story into a full cat-and-mouse thriller. While the rest of the movie doesn’t quite measure up, that opening sequence is simply iconic.

#5: “The Babadook” (2014)

Director Jennifer Kent introduced the terrifying titular creature in her 2005 short “Monster.” With Kent herself referring to it as “Baby Babadook,” “Monster” explored a child’s fear of a lurking presence in the dark. There’s nothing simpler than that. Kent later reimagined the idea, deepened the themes, and expanded the story into “The Babadook,” a deeply unsettling allegory for loss, parenting, and mental illness - with one unforgettable monster. The short gave Kent the proof she needed to secure funding for her first feature, and with a little help from the Government of South Australia, she made her now-famous movie which went on to win international acclaim - and many awards.

#4: “Mama” (2013)

If there’s one person you should thank for the wonderfully creepy “Mama,” it’s writer-director Andy Muschietti. And if there’s a second person you should thank, it’s Guillermo del Toro. Muschietti’s 2008 short “Mamá” was only three minutes long, but it left a huge impression - especially thanks to the chilling design of the titular character. Del Toro, himself a fan of creepy, supernatural ghoulies, loved it so much he offered to produce the feature-length adaptation. So in came his company, Double Dare You, which helped Muschietti expand the story of orphaned girls clinging to a supernatural “mother.” The movie was a huge hit and launched Muschietti’s career, leading to further opportunities like the “It” films. Not bad for a three-minute calling card.

#3: “Lights Out” (2016)

This one’s a modern classic of viral horror. In 2013, Swedish filmmaker David F. Sandberg made a two-and-a-half-minute short where a woman sees a shadowy figure that only appears when the lights are off. Simple but terrifying. The short quickly blew up online, proving that, oftentimes, the simplest ideas are often the most universal. Producers noticed the virality, including James Wan, and before long, Sandberg had himself a feature deal with Wan’s production company, Atomic Monster. “Lights Out” was just that at the box office, grossing nearly $150 million. Sandberg happily rode that success, going on to have a very successful career directing the likes of “Annabelle: Creation” and “Shazam!”

#2: “Smile” (2022)

This is a rare case when a short film actually acts as a prequel to its own feature-length movie and is technically considered canon. Written and directed by Parker Finn, “Laura Hasn’t Slept” runs eleven minutes long and concerns one Laura Weaver, who talks to her therapist about a recurring nightmare. Paramount saw huge franchise potential and gave the short the theatrical treatment. Good call - with a $17 million budget, it grossed $217 million. They even brought back Laura, who reprises her role in the prologue of the movie, having been consumed by the entity. Thanks to a solid promise and some clever viral marketing, “Smile” was a huge hit, and a third movie is currently in development. Now that’s something to smile about.

#1: “Saw” (2004)

It’s amazing how many careers were made by “Saw.” But before everyone knew names like James Wan, Leigh Whannell, and Tobin Bell, there was just a scrappy short with a weird prop. “Saw” was essentially a proof-of-concept scene, showing Whannell’s character stuck inside a reverse bear trap. It was grimy and cheap, but the talent was obvious, and it caught the attention of some producers. They offered to fund the movie for $1 million, and Wan and Whannell would receive full creative control and 25% of the net profits. What a deal. “Saw” grossed $104 million and launched one of the biggest horror franchises of all time. From scrappy short to global phenomenon, “Saw” is the ultimate horror Cinderella story.

Have you checked out the original short films? Let us know in the comments below!