It’s Halloween evening—the air is cold, the moon is bright, and the night is perfect to watch something scary. If you can’t sit through a full-length movie full of scares, then short films might just be what you’re looking for.
Check out our High Five recommended horror short films you can find on YouTube — if you dare.
Don’t Look Back
On his way home from work, a man encounters a peculiar woman in a tunnel. Her strange behavior prompts him to walk past her, but he makes one grave mistake: he looks back.
Directed by Mitsumoto Yuasa, this short masterfully builds dread, culminating in a chilling, full-circle finale. Despite its brief runtime, Don’t Look Back captures the essence of Japanese horror — quiet tension, inescapable terror, and truly unforgettable scares.
Let’s just say I won’t be walking home alone after work anytime soon.
Lights Out
What would you do if an eerie figure appeared every time you turned off the light? Lights Out is a Swedish supernatural horror short film directed by David F. Sandberg and starring his wife, Lotta Losten. After winning multiple awards and going viral online, it was later adapted into a full-length feature of the same name.
Don’t let its under-three-minute runtime fool you — it’ll keep you on edge until the very last second.
TRICK or TREAT!
If your taste in horror leans toward characters like Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, and Art the Clown, then TRICK or TREAT! will quench your thirst for a bloody good time.
An unexpected trick-or-treater comes knocking on a couple’s door, and things take a deadly turn when they send him away. This short from Thinking Art Entertainment is a great example of slasher cinema, done in under 15 minutes — with a sequel even gorier and deadlier than the first.
The Backrooms
One minute you’re shooting a video with your friends — the next you suddenly tumble into a mysterious place: The Backrooms. Watching this short is an unsettling, nerve-wracking experience — like being trapped in a nightmare with no escape, no matter how fast you run, with danger lurking at every corner.
Over time, The Backrooms has developed a strong cult following and inspired games, spin-off shorts, and other projects. Currently, it is being adapted into a full-length feature by A24, with Kane Parsons returning to direct — marking his feature-film debut.
The Dollmaker
ALTER has one of the best horror short catalogs on YouTube. Some honorable mentions worth checking out are Play Me, Other Side of the Box, and Special Day — but the final spot in our list goes to one of their best: The Dollmaker. But take note, Viewer discretion is advised for depictions of self-harm.
A grieving mother goes to extreme measures to cope with the loss of her son. But when her wish comes true in the form of a doll, her husband must stop her before it destroys their marriage — and their lives.
The Dollmaker isn’t just an excellent short film — it’s a haunting portrayal of grief and how terrifyingly it can consume people. It delivers a powerful story with a mind-blowing ending you won’t see coming.
If you’re not built for enduring full-length horror films, then we hope our High Five list was enough to make your Halloween as spooktastic as it can be.
Which short film horror did you like the most? Let us know in the comments!