A horror short about a demon in disguise.

In 2012, Erik Matti made a short film called Vesuvius. It’s an icily unnerving short about a demon appearing in the guise of a the Virgin Mary. The film follows the transfiguration of a man’s mundane and listless life into one infested by an evil he thinks is holy. This idea, of course, is the pitch for his 2016 film Seclusion, a film whose evils intend to infiltrate not a single body but an entire culture and then, finally, a civilization. Think Rosemary’s Baby but without the exhaustive process of gestating the Beast. The evils in Erik Matti’s new film are deceitful, but, where it counts, straightforward.

Vesuvius is released online as part of The YOMYOMF Network’s Silent Terror series. I figured this is a perfect short of the week as Seclusion is currently playing in the Philippines, as part of the lineup for the 2016 Metro Manila Film Festival. Yesterday’s screening brings me confidence that the right distributor will pick it up soon, too, for all you friends in the U.S.

Watch Vesuvius in full below.

Plot Synopsis
An image seemingly that of the Virgin Mary appears upon a man. The image begins to speak to the man in whispers. Since then, the man has not been the same.

Check back every Monday for a new short film recommendation. If you wish to submit a short film, reach out to the editors, or to me on Twitter (@armanddc).