“Who’s There” – Answering the Door Turns Deadly – Horror Short Review

When a single father hears his daughter come home late, he begins to question if the voice he’s hearing is really hers… or something else.

The logline for “Who’s There?” doesn’t begin to touch on the wild ride the viewer is in for. Writers Todd Spence and Zak White and director Ryan Doris challenge the viewer’s sense of reality and deception in “Who’s There?”, playing now on Alter’s YouTube channel.

This call to action is very real…Submit your own script to the next Killer Shorts Horror Short Screenplay Competition.

The Plot

The film begins with hushed inaudible whispers. A neighborhood street comes into view and the camera pans into the window of a typical suburban home. Phil is cooking dinner and quizzing his teenage stepdaughter, Brooke, about the bonfire she’s heading to that evening.

The banter back and forth is casual and caring. Phil is a cautious parent but not too overbearing. He is Brooke’s only parental figure after her mother’s passing and he treats her as his own and she responds in kind.

Brooke’s friend, Marissa, shows up outside the kitchen window with a boisterous rally cry to party. Although he considers Brooke’s friend, Marissa, a “bad influence”, he doesn’t stop Brooke from indulging in her teenage fun.

The mood is light and…normal, but this is horror, so something has to give.

Phil falls asleep in front of the television. Brooke’s pleas to open the front door wake him. Just as he is about to comply, he receives a text message.

From Brooke.

Her ETA is 10 minutes away. If she is not home yet, who’s outside the door sounding like Brooke and demanding to be let in?

Phil’s night just turned upside down.

What Lies Underneath

Do you really know who lives in your home and shares your life? Phil didn’t give it a second thought until a voice at the door changed everything. Themes of trust, false reality, and doppelgänger energy rock the viewer’s sense of safety for the characters. Evil in plain sight…or hearing, in this case.

What Makes It Killer

Within the first few minutes, the film sets up genuine trust and care in the relationship between Phil and Brooke. The vibe starts out warm and familial delivered through a Disney-fied sheen of heartwarming banter. That cozy foundation lures the viewer in and heightens at their emotions when the real terror begins.

The jump scares are genuine and earned. The acting is compelling. The performances from Garland Scott as Phil, the stepfather, and Kallie Tabor as Brooke have a gentle chemistry and feel authentic to a parent and teenager dynamic.

The devil is also in the details with supporting characters. Lizzie Kircher as Brooke’s nothing-but-trouble friend, Marissa, is a bit of scene stealer and quite hilarious and the voice actors who rachet up the tension in the second half of the film bring their ‘A’ game.

There’s so much to love about this film.

Watch it below.