From Marisa Tomei to Mackenzie Davis, Georgina Campbell, and Joe Keery, well-known actors from Hollywood don’t just star in Blockbuster movies or beloved shows. They dabble in indie feature films, personal projects, and horror short films. And for someone who really doesn’t want to watch another Hollywood sequel or remake this Halloween, these horror short films on YouTube are perfect.
Most of these picks were found on Alter “an ever-expanding platform for the most daring storytellers in the world of horror.” They are also a “community and launching pad” for filmmakers. And if you’re interested in submitting a film, Alter has more information on that here. So, prepare for spooks and make sure to send the creators all the love if you enjoy their work!
1. Laboratory Conditions (2017) — Starring Marisa Tomei & Minnie Driver
Directed by Jocelyn Stamat, Laboratory Conditions stars Marisa Tomei and Minnie Driver. According to the synopsis, “A physician investigating a missing body disrupts an unlawful experiment.”
2. How to Be Alone (2019) — Starring Maika Monroe and Joe Keery
Written and directed by Kate Trefry, How to Be Alone stars Maika Monroe from It Follows and Joe Keery from Stranger Things. According to the synopsis, the horror short film is about “One woman’s simple, three-step guide to surviving a night on your own.
3. Requiem (2021) — Starring Bella Ramsey
Directed by Em J. Gilbertson, Requiem stars Bella Ramsey from the popular series The Last of Us. According to the synopsis, “Requiem is set in 1605, against the backdrop of the witch trials. It’s a coming of age story, following Evelyn as she engages in a game of cat and mouse against her father, Minister Gilbert, in order to be with Mary, the woman she loves.”
4. Return to Sender (2022) — Starring Allison Tolman
Written and directed by Russell Goldman, Return to Sender stars Allison Tolman from Good Girls. It’s also produced by the well-known and beloved actor Jamie Lee Curtis from Halloween fame. According to the synopsis, “comes a story about a woman involved in a delivery scam that grows increasingly strange.”
5. Skin & Bone (2022) — Starring Amanda Seyfried
Written and directed by Eli Powers, Skin & Bone stars Amanda Seyfried from The Dropout and Les Misérables. According to the synopsis, “A drifter begins suffering horrifying visions after taking a job on a secluded farm.”
6. Upstairs (2020) — Starring Iain De Caestecker
Directed by Phillip Trow, Upstairs stars Sorcha Groundsell, Luke Newberry, Heather Coombs, and Yolanda Kettle. But for those who have watched Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. they might recognize Iain De Caestecker. According to the synopsis, “Jennifer Saint finally receives validation that she’s not delusional when her late father reaches out from beyond the grave to confirm that their dark family secret is in fact the truth.”
7. Deathly (2015) — Starring Alan Ruck
Directed by Mike Williamson, Deathly stars Alan Ruck from Succession. According to the synopsis, “After the tragic death of his wife in a house fire, Richard returns home on the night of her funeral to find he may not be as alone as he thought.”
8. Otherkin (2022) — Starring Georgina Campbell
Directed by Dawson Taylor, Otherkin stars Georgina Campell from Barbarian. According to the synopsis, “Scarlet visits her estranged birth parents in hopes of forging a long-desired connection and learns that they’re weirdly, if not dangerously, obsessed with foxes.
9. The Home (2016) — Starring Alex Essoe
Directed by L. Gustavo Cooper, The Home stars Alex Essoe from Midnight Mass and The Haunting of Bly Manor. According to the synopsis, “Set in a small, isolated 19th century Irish home for unwed mothers, a young pregnant woman must fight for her survival as the home falls siege to a group of mysterious invaders.”
10. Emptied (2014) — Starring Mackenzie Davis
Written and directed by David Ferino, Emptied stars Mackenzie Davis from Station Eleven. According to the synopsis, “Based on a crime reported in April of 2012, things get physical when a jilted dentist is visited by her philandering ex-boyfriend.”
11. Goodnight Darling (2021) — Starring AnnaSophia Robb & Vivien Lyra Blair
Directed by Adam Azimov, Goodnight Darling stars AnnaSophia Robb from Bridge to Terabithia fame and Princess Leia Organa herself Vivien Lyra Blair from Obi-Wan Kenobi. According to the synopsis, “Two sisters wonder if their mother’s strange behavior is a response to a recent family loss, or if something more sinister is at work…”
12. The Blue Door (2017) — Starring Gemma Whelan
Directed by Paul Taylor, The Blue Door stars Gemma Whelan from Game of Thrones and Gentleman Jack. According to the synopsis, “Clare is a caring nurse opening the door to her new job. But maybe some doors are best left shut…”
13. Night Swim (2014) — Starring Megalyn Echikunwoke
Directed by Rod Blackhurst and Bryce McGuire, Night Swim stars Megalyn Echikunwoke from Vixen and Almost Family. According to the synopsis, “A woman swims in her pool at night. But something watches her.”
