2020 has been... scary. 

That's it. That's it—that's all. That's all I got. Might as well pack it up and go home, because there's nothing scarier than what's actually going on in the world right now.


However, for those of you who like to mix a little dramatized terror with your real-life terror—perhaps in an attempt to forget which is which—boy, have I got something horrifying for you!

Twenty of the best horror shorts that could be found online for your viewing pleasure. We've got classic horror, experimental, and animated joints. We've got major genre-benders, dancing zombies, and disgusting mouth monsters that turn kids homicidal (you can thank theexecutive producer of Get Out for that one). We've also thrown in a mixture of award-winning selections from this year, as well as from years passed, including SXSW 2020 Special Jury Winner Stucco, the Oscar-qualified single-take meta gem Night of the Slasher, and Boniato, which we've shared before but decided to share again because it was the scariest short of 2016, as declared by Short of the Week. 

Oh, also... just about the most terrifying stare you've probably ever seen in your entire life.

In fact, let's kick off with that.

Enjoy.

Other Side of the Box

"A couple receives a mysterious package from an old friend."

Umbra (Tariki)

"A few minutes after midnight, the young lady realizes that her partner disappeared after they had sex. She goes out worried to seek her partner in the darkness of the streets."

Suicide By Sunlight

"Valentina, a day-walking Black vampire protected from the sun by her melanin, is forced to suppress her bloodlust to regain custody of her estranged daughters in this acclaimed short that played Sundance."

MJ

"In an attempt to find acceptance and purpose in an alienating postmillennial world, an unhinged young woman develops a violent addiction to social media."

A Night in Camp Heebie Jeebie

"During a stormy night in Camp Heebie Jeebie, the ghost stories shared by a group of Jeebie Scouts become all too real."

In Sound, We Live Forever

"Something bad has (is) happened (happening)."

Coyote

"A coyote loses his wife and children from an attack of wolves. Anguished from human emotions, he‘s trying to process the experience. Besides grief and delusion, evil takes up more and more space."

Boniato

"An undocumented migrant worker decides it’s time to move on from picking crops and find a better job. Little does she know, insidious supernatural forces have a different plan for her. Some borders aren't meant to be crossed."

Night of the Slasher

"An Oscar-qualified 'shot-in-one-take' slasher film about a teenage girl who lures a masked killer by committing horror movie sins."

Face Mask

"Don't forget to wear your face mask in public."

La Noria

"From seasoned animator Carlos Baena (ILM, Pixar) and a crowd-sourced community of over 100 people, La Noria tells the tale of a grieving young boy who one day encounters dark creatures that turn his life upside down."

Box Fort

"Based on the Creepypasta and r/NoSleep short story written by Mallory Eddy. One weekend while their parents are away, three sisters decide to build a box fort. As strange things start to happen around them, they wonder if someone or something is living inside of it."

Drum Wave

"A young pianist confronts her fear of motherhood when she marries into a remote island community with bizarre fertility rituals."

A Doll Distorted

"Jane suffers from haphephobia (the pathological fear of touch), tormented by years of loneliness and isolation she orders a synthetic love doll online to nightmarish consequences."

Stucco

"SXSW 2020 Special Jury Winner. While hanging a piece of art in her new home, a woman knocks a hole in her wall, revealing what might be another room. Her mind races and unravels as she wonders what could be on the other side."

The Boogeywoman

"In the fever of her first period, a curious teenager is drawn to her small town’s local legend, only to find that the 'Boogeywoman' is flesh and blood—the mother she never had."

We Together

"A zombie is awakened."

Oscar's Bell

"Duncan and his dog Oscar have gone on their weekly camping trip into the wilderness together. However, when Duncan looks out into the woods, something else looks back."

It Began Without Warning

"IT BEGAN WITHOUT WARNING Or: 'The time has come,' the Walrus said. And all the little Oysters stood and waited in a row."

The Pig Child

"An ambitious scientist takes the perilous decision to inseminate herself with an embryo combining both human and animal cells. Discovering that she is carrying a 'pig child,' she is torn between scientific drive and maternalistic urges."

Don't leave us hangin'! Share your favorite horror shorts in the comments below.