Trigger Warning for The Strange Thing About the Johnsons: mentions/depictions of rape, sexual assault, and brutal killings.
With spooky season just around the corner, many of us are preparing for the festivities and traditions that come along with it—an essential part of which are horror movies. If you’re anything like me, you crave the adrenaline rush and pure fear that horror movies supply and have become a sort of connoisseur of the horror movie genre because of that.
However, after watching countless horror movies and spending copious amounts of time on the internet, I noticed that I’ve become desensitized to a lot of the imagery that is traditionally supposed to scare me. Consequently, I’ve struggled to find a movie that will supply me with the feeling of gut-wrenching discomfort I crave, until I discovered the works of one Ari Aster.
Famously known for his movies Midsommar and Hereditary, Ari Aster is, in my opinion, one of the few directors of this generation who has mastered the art of depicting horror in a way that is personal, real, and truly horrific. Though most people tend to rave about his feature films, not a lot of attention is given to his collection of harrowing short films.
Whether you enjoyed Ari Aster’s longer works, are looking for horror movie recommendations, or just want to be deeply unsettled for 10-30-ish minutes at a time, these short movies are perfect for you.
The first of Ari Aster’s short films that I watched is The Trouble with Mom or Munchausen. I would generally recommend this film for those who are more faint-hearted, or those who still want to get a good night’s sleep after watching it. Munchausen tells the story of a young man going off to college; the film follows him as he completes his final preparations and says goodbye to his family. However, what starts as a tearful farewell quickly turns into something much more sinister when the boy’s mom realizes she can’t bear the thought of him leaving. The film begins with a deceptively calm atmosphere, drawing in the audience with warm colors and such a joyful tone that, by the time we realize it’s a facade, it is already too late.
The fascinating thing about Munchausen is that it’s a silent film, so all the audience hears is the music playing in the background. Perhaps this is what makes its disturbing moments that much more uncomfortable to watch—there isn’t any dialogue to distract from the downward spiral of events we’re witnessing. Subsequently, the emphasis is placed on the use of a soundtrack that is capable of portraying the same emotions that speech would. It is precisely the use of music in this way, combined with the phenomenal acting, which makes the ending much more horrific to the audience. You’ll find yourself wondering when the seemingly endless music will stop so that you can escape this mad tale, but it never does.
The second film, Beau , is only six minutes long and yet somehow still managed to make me deeply alarmed. The film is about a man named Beau who slowly goes insane when he notices that the key to his apartment has been stolen. The bizarre series of events that follow Beau’s discovery takes you on an emotional rollercoaster you can’t get off of. The film manages to stray away from cliche storylines, making for a frighteningly weird ending that is impossible to forget. By omitting any fancy sets or props, Beau portrays a sense of realness and relatability that a lot of modern horror movies simply can’t match. The film plays around with a very realistic premise but somehow turns it into something more disturbing than I could’ve ever imagined. After finishing the movie, I was left to wonder what the hell I had just watched and why I couldn’t stop thinking about it for the rest of the night.
Lastly, and definitely the most uncomfortable watch of them all, is The Strange Thing About the Johnsons. Recently, this film has been gaining a lot of attention on TikTok due to its disconcerting nature. Unlike the other two films, this one doesn’t ease the audience into its madness—we’re jolted into it from the very first scene. The Strange Thing About the Johnsons follows the life of what appears to be a picture-perfect suburban family, but we quickly come to realize that everything isn’t as perfect as it seems on the surface.
To say that I was uncomfortable while watching this movie would be an understatement. (On second thought, it probably wasn’t a good idea to watch it alone at midnight.) Although the movie is the longest of the three, it doesn’t feel drawn out. In fact, every minute is more gripping and unsettling than the last. I’m not going to lie, I considered stopping half-way through due to the gravity of the subject matter, but I just had to know how the story ended—and truthfully, the ending did not disappoint. It is films like this one that make me wonder what the hell goes on inside Ari Aster’s mind and how I still can’t seem to stop watching his movies.
Ari Aster’s films aren’t “traditional” horror movies, as they appeal to the human psyche to elicit uneasiness rather than resorting to cheap scare tactics. The masterful blend of unique plot lines, creepy atmospheres, and brilliant acting in the films makes them stand out from other movies in the genre and adds an unmatched level of memorability to them. Although the content of the films is horrifying, to say the least, they’re shot in a way that demands to be watched. It’s almost like they’re screaming at you “Don’t you dare shut your eyes!” So, if you decide to watch any of his short films, I hope you find them as enthralling as I did, enjoy analyzing the meaning behind them, and most of all, I hope they make you as uncomfortable as they made me.
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