Synopsis: A one shot horror about finding your voice…
Hear Hear is a suspenseful horror short written and directed by Emmet O’Brien, produced by Stephen Broekhuizen, and starring the talents of Christiana Cronin-Reicke, Darragh Keating, Brendan Morris, and Judy Donovan.
Writer/Director Emmet O’Brien
Hear Hear is prime example of the “big things—small packages” idiom. With a brief five minute run-time, Hear Hear somehow manages to pack what feels like three whole acts into the time allocated for an average TV ad break. Not only that, but O’Brien proves that one doesn’t need more than a minute to build more suspense than any Annabelle prequel or sequel ever could.
O’Brien’s Hear Hear is pretty standard-fare when it comes to modern micro-short films; a clever premise, a scary build, and a fantastic finale. The story (which I will not go into) is unfortunately reminiscent of plots that I have seen before. While not entirely original, it is a unique take on popular horror trope and it is very well executed.
What I did love was the way the creature was handled; pure tension and realism over jump scares and CGI. The film produces a genuine fear—that primal fear that triggers those “fight or flight” parts of the brain. It’s that primal fear that drives the film forward and forces you to the edge of your seat, albeit if only for a minute or two.
Cast and crew
The acting is absolutely superb and the technical aspects were masterfully done. The sound design, lighting, editing, screenplay, and art direction all come together well to create what is already an award winning short film, one that is likely to walk away with many more while it creeps its way through this year’s indie festivals.
Keep your eyes open for Hear Hear as it has been accepted to 12 festival thus far with a couple of laurels already in the bag. Thanks for reading and as always, stay sordid. Posters below.
Poster designed by Cong Nguyen
