Horror Short Film 'The Unlocking' | ALTER

Don't unlock the door.

"The Unlocking" by Thomas Matthew Brush


#ALTER #horror #shortfilm

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More About "The Unlocking":
Elliot obsessively locks his front door every-night, all night. One day his therapist recommends he do everything in his power to leave the door unlocked, break the habit, and discover if his fear of "Mr. Tutu" is real...

"The Unlocking" Credits:
Director, Producer, Screenwriter, Editor: Thomas Brush
Director of Photography: Josh Murphy
Elliot: Andre Griner
Therapist: Debbie Brush
Mr. Tutu: Andre Griner, Matt Laird
Technical Support, Nurse: Brett Sheffield
Sound Mastering: Hector Rodriguez

About ALTER:
ALTER is an ever-expanding platform for the most daring storytellers in the world of horror. We are a home, community and launching pad for our filmmakers. Slip into the dark, disturbing corners of cutting-edge horror.



About Gunpowder + Sky:
Creating content that resonates and impacts pop culture conversation, by empowering creators to take risks and experiment relentlessly in the pursuit of novel stories and formats.

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[FloriFama]

I have to thank Heidi Wong for always reminding me these are the best horror short films out there. I appreciate the art and the whole short from concept to execution. 🏆

[carolinekelly]

It seems to me that he was thoroughly relieved at the end, even having lost both his hands, because now it was impossible for him to get stuck locking and unlocking the door all night. Only a person suffering from severe OCD would truly understand this. Great movie!!!

[SANYxHOF]

It funny how big Hollywood companies are running out of horror movies ideas yet groups like ALTER and others like them are giving us master pieces like this, short but enjoyable, but shoutout to the creators of every mini series that ALTER gives us!

[bipolarbear]

that shot of him laying on the bed while his daughter is repeatedly telling him he should have locked the door in that demented voice, then seeing mr.tutu crawling on the floor had me ready to hyperventilate 😅 phenomenal work!!!

[sophial.]

Some of the best camera shots and lighting I’ve ever seen in a short.
What a way to portray how trauma and guilt can eat at you from the inside out. The fear was so insanely palatable. Well done.

[tomsdottir]

You know you've reached a certain a age when, in the middle of a great short, you stop and think, hey that's a nice front door. I'd like a front door like that.

[observationsfromthefencepo]

Mental Illness and horror can be a fine line and also linked as there can be an inherent fear with severe mental illness. This film crafted and blurred that fine line exceptionally well.
Our character is definitely showing the traits of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder rooted in extreme anxiety. He is also showing the classic Schizophrenia symptoms of hallucinations and delusions. The therapist is pondering both options.

The girl could have been a sister or daughter that was likely killed and possibly killed in a break-in. This trauma is too much and the guilt too much to beat triggering the extreme behavior.

I am a mental health counselor and psychosis and / or OCD is no joke.
Had a client when in an episode of psychosis acted on the verse of If they Eye offends thee then pluck it out. Another client who was a victim of date rape drug would check their doors and windows up to 20 times each night. This stuff can be very serious and life affecting.

With the sadness and horror of this film, I felt an empathy for this character. The prayer plea to change his brain was poignant.

The actor pulled it off and the overall atmosphere and lighting served the film.

One of the scariest things about psychosis is when it has a root in reality.

Great work to Thomas Brush and the cast and crew. It was a beautiful exploration of some serious issues on one hand and a good horror film on the other.

Peace.

[zynory]

As someone that struggles with diagnosed OCD this movie really got under my skin! The tenseness of the scenes just fit really really well, loved it!

[mudaserkazmis]

who came here after watching heidi wong 😅

[isaidwtfover]

I like his maniacal laugh when she suggested leaving the door unlocked. I totally felt that.

[dbp]

his daughter was kidnapped and he blames himself for not locking the door.

[Sonderin]

Let's admit to ourselves: When he said, "God, please fix my brain, " we all felt that...

[tkell]

The guy crawling next to the bed was incredibly creepy to me. Nice work. Goes to show the mind is so powerful and dangerous when it's not working right.

[SaberFall]

At the end when the door opens I think it symbolizes his daughter coming in to say “Hello” letting him know that it wasn’t his fault 😭💗

[everettlogan]

I'm obsessed with the subtleties of Mr Tutu, he matches the main character in every way, the tightey whiteys and the red bandage on the finger shows that the monster really is just him

[kimareska]

The hamburger phone makes this perfect 🍔

[shavedparmesanprosciuttoan]

Well god damn, I wasn’t ready for a film this good. Usually these short films are hit or miss, and usually just okay, but this was massive! The props—the doll, the sword, the vape… the sound design the creaking floors, the CAMERA WORK… the way the shot zooms into his window from outside, the way he pukes in our faces, the shot of him at the table that swings around to the door then back to the table only to see he’s already up and the camera swings again to follow him… really cool stuff. Very interesting, visually!

[r.c]

The use of camera in this short is absolutely brilliant. I hope this gem’s director goes full feature.

[alichinos]

This is so real. You captured the impulse, fear of what happens, and a reason for it all happening. The actors, absolutely, especially the main character all fit the struggle to an absolute T. Bravo.

[chrs]

So I'm going to assume he either lost his daughter because he forgot to lock the door which caused him to have ocd and then the monster came to just torture him