The initial concept for Even Monsters Can Be People was sparked after I listened to David F. Sandberg discuss his brilliantly terrifying short film, Lights Out. I was eager to write a horror short and became fascinated by the idea of "not being alone in the house." I thought, what better way to explore that than from a child’s perspective—a child with a dysfunctional father?
The film’s genre is difficult to pin down, as it walks a fine line between horror and comedy. I wanted to have some fun with classic horror tropes, slowly building up the tension and working towards a big reveal. The story takes a plausible scenario and immerses it deeply in the horror genre. My goal was to lead the audience with their understanding of horror genre traits and use that to play upon their expectations.
Having recently become a father myself, I became obsessed with the idea of the father’s role, particularly the crazy stories we tell our kids to help them better understand the world or to prevent them from being frightened. We often use ridiculous, candy-coated kid-speak to shield them from the true horrors of the world.
The film attempts to address the pressures of parenting, and I felt that the horror genre was the perfect vehicle to amplify the anxiety that comes with it.
The film was distributed and exhibited at festivals worldwide and received nominations for Best International Film and Best short film.
Little Billy is awake, there's an evil presence in his room, luckily his father knows how to handle monsters.
Short film, Comedy Horror