Film Fests
Our 10 Favorite Short Films From Final Girls Berlin Film Festival (2025)
Short films are one of my favorite parts of Final Girls Berlin Film Festival. Festival directors Elinor Lewy and Sara Neidorf always knock it out of the park with their short film block groupings and which films they pick for screening. I don’t think I’ve ever been disappointed by the blocks. While I can’t write about every single one, I wanted to take the time to highlight my top 10 favorite short films of their 10th Annual festival.
Due to the substance and quality of each short film, it wasn’t easy to narrow down the list to 10. It should be noted that with the exception of the films listed in the first and second spot, they aren’t in any specific order. (Because I couldn’t pick between two specific shorts, we’ll throw the 11th spot in here too!)
Short films are one of my favorite parts of Final Girls Berlin Film Festival. Festival directors Elinor Lewy and Sara Neidorf always knock it out of the park with their short film block groupings and which films they pick for screening. I don’t think I’ve ever been disappointed by the blocks. While I can’t write about every single one, I wanted to take the time to highlight my top 10 favorite short films of their 10th Annual festival.
Due to the substance and quality of each short film, it wasn’t easy to narrow down the list to 10. It should be noted that with the exception of the films listed in the first and second spot, they aren’t in any specific order. (Because I couldn’t pick between two specific shorts, we’ll throw the 11th spot in here too!)
My 10 Favorite Shorts From Final Girls Berlin Festival 2025
11. Sugar Rag written by Spencer T. Heath & Jai Love // directed by Jai Love
Block 9: Pop Horror/Carnivalesque
Alfred’s (Carter Dau) parents come home to their expansive manor with a surprise…a baby brother! There’s something off about Alfred’s new brother Remus (Aaron Light), and Alfred can’t quite put his finger on it; maybe it’s the fact that Remus is a 6-foot-something man in a diaper with a baby’s head mask.
Sugar Rag is an insanely out-of-left-field short film that shocks and stings. Never in a million years would I have guessed where it would go next. The surprising idea by Heath and Love to have Remus be an adult male portraying a baby is something I need to see in a feature-length film. While it’s comedic for a good portion, Heath and Love do not let the short go gently into that good night. The climax is genuinely crazy and left me with my mouth agape. It makes sense that it’s on the Crypt TV YouTube channel.
10. Izzy written and directed by Yfke van Berckelaer
Block 1: Hostile Environments
Izzy (Nahéma Ricci) is sick and tired of being caught in the middle of everyone else’s crap. That’s when she decides a pop of color will liven things up.
Izzy is short, sweet, and direct to the point. It has a story to tell and refuses to linger one second longer. There’s something deeper to Izzy than I can pinpoint, but by the time the short was over, it made me want to improve myself and stop sitting idly by while others get what they want out of life.
9. Gaslighter written by Virginia Powers Hendry and Anastasia Washington // directed by Virginia Powers Hendry
Block 3: Het Horror
Anne (Anastasia Washington) gets home after a long day of work only to realize that things are off. The front door isn’t locked, the power is out, and something seems wrong. Anne’s partner, Jeff (Taylor Marr), doesn’t believe her. That’s when the film splits in two and gives us Until Dawn-like points of view. Will Anne stay the night and face the evil in her house? Or will she leave the house like any normal person would?
Gaslighter puts to test the idea of audience reactions. How many times have you watched a horror film and shouted at the screen, “RUN! LEAVE THE HOUSE!” Hendry and Washington play with that idea by putting all the tropes out there and letting Anne make the choices for herself. It’s a fun play on the genre that works well for a short film but might not play as well if it were any longer.
8. Deep Cut written and directed by Michelle Farrah Huang
Block 1: Hostile Environments
Farrah (Michelle Farrah Huang) is on set for a film for the first time in years. She’s seemingly doing a good job, but the film’s director (Keir Gilchrist) doesn’t seem pleased. Farrah becomes friends with another actor named Jessie (Sugar Lyn Beard), and the two head to Farrah’s for a night of drinking. But Jessie seems too big of a fan of Farrah’s previous work and will do anything to ensure their film succeeds.
Deep Cut is meta and fascinating in an incredibly original way. You think you know where it’s going but get crisscrossed by the end. Huang’s story succeeds in its current form but would greatly benefit from a feature-length version. Huang and Gilchrist have great chemistry both when they’re friends and when they’re…not. It’s fairly straightforward visually but doesn’t fail to capture and keep the viewer’s attention.
7. Dark Mommy written by Courtney Eck and James P. Gannon // directed by Courtney Eck
Block 1: Hostile Environments
Ben (Ben Chandler) is a quiet man who spends his nights working as a solo dispatcher for his small town’s 911 call center. What seems like a prank call turns into a night of terror that might be a sign of something bigger to come.
As someone who works in overnight emergency dispatch, this one hit a little hard for me. Being the only person in a four-story building in midtown Manhattan sans a security guard can get slightly overwhelming. That being said, I would kill to dispatch in a town like Ben’s. The whole idea of Dark Mommy (Uranbileg Angarag) is brilliant and the effects by Ravenous Studios on Dark Mommy look stellar. As I’ve said many times throughout this list, so far, Dark Mommy would make a KILLER Malum-esque feature-length film. If you get a chance to see this at a festival, do not miss it.
6. How To Stay Awake written and directed by Vanessa Magic
Block 5: Midnight
Helen (Preeti Torul) will do anything to stay awake because if she falls asleep…the Night Witch (Hannan Younis) comes.
I have terrible insomnia, and working overnights probably doesn’t help. Helen’s plight is something I’m all too familiar with (though to a much lesser extent of a Night Witch). Vanessa Magic expertly crafted a story of what it feels like to not feel in control of your body and how powerless it can be. The sound design works wonders for the film, but I could have used a lot less high-pitched ringing–that’s what made me go from loving this short to liking it. Don’t get me wrong, I understand it, but it was too much. Overall, Magic created a visually intriguing piece of horror that gave me two separate nightmares.
5. It Came From Inside! written and directed by Aura Martinez Sandoval and Jackson Rees
Block 7: Queer Horror
It’s Halloween night! Vicky (Gentry Loghry) and her partner Oliver (Luke Harger) are relaxing after a party. An explosion outside piques their interest and changes their lives forever.
If you’re a fan of retro ’80s horror, then It Came From Inside! will be right up your alley. It has the trappings of Raimi, Dekker, and Henenlotter while still keeping an updated visual style. Full of some excellent practicals, this short reads like an open lines call from Coast to Coast with Art Bell. No notes!
4. The Blue Diamond written by Sam Fox and Addison Heimann // directed by Sam Fox
Block 4: Cults
Alison (Desiree Staples) is overseeing the funeral for her cult leader mother, Jacqueline (Barbara Crampton). Alison has stayed away from the cult this long…can she make it through the afterparty?
Cult horror isn’t usually my thing, but I still give them a shot. The Blue Diamond is an incredibly fun take on cults and how they affect those who are closest to the leader. Alison is a well-written character, and Desiree Staples does a fantastic job of portraying her. And I mean, Barbara Crampton is Barbara Crampton! There’s a fun twist that takes this short in a direction most in this subgenre don’t take, and I found it to be generally refreshing. So what are you waiting for? Let’s all go down the blue diamond together!
3. Micro-Short written and directed by Beth Fletcher
Block 5: Midnight
Don’t get between Dani (Hannah Myers) and her microwave.
Micro-Short is an excellent piece of avant-garde madness. Fletcher’s story and direction are expertly lensed by Maddy Talias, who knows HOW to work a camera. For a [very] short film about a woman and a microwave that takes place in a single room, Talias shoots the hell out of this short. I was insanely blown away by the filmmaking in Micro-Short.
2. Last to Leave written and directed by Mary Elizabeth Ellis
Block 5: Midnight
Brunette (Ginger Gonza) and Blonde (Mary Elizabeth Ellis) arrive at a bar right at last call. The women seem slightly off, but the remaining bar patrons are more than happy to have them join for a drink—big mistake.
When I saw Mary Elizabeth Ellis on screen, I jumped off my couch with excitement. I was even more excited when I saw she wrote and directed this. One of my favorite things is when A-list talent steps out of their comfort zones to make shorts/features that are completely different from their main body of work. Not only was I excited to see Ellis, but I was also genuinely surprised by how good this short was. This short plays it close to the chest, but when it’s ready to rip, it rips. I’ll only say this one more time: I really hope Last to Leave gets a feature adaptation. There are great intricacies to Brunette and Blonde, and it would be great to see Ellis expand on them.
1. Bloody Hell written by Lena Albin // directed by Lena Albin and Jayden Rathsam Hua
Block 5: Midnight
Sam (Sophia Morrison) is preparing for a night out with her friend Jacinta (Sophie Teo). But her period is far from her worst trouble tonight.
WOW. Absolutely, wow. Body horror is one of my favorite subgenres. While I find it enjoyable, it’s hard for body horror to make me physically nauseous. I really don’t want to say too much about Bloody Hell because it needs to be seen to be believed, but I want to give my props to Albin, Hua, makeup artists Lara Franzi and Maddison Gray, and SFX coordinator Briana Garbutt. This short film is one bloody hell of a good time.
Happy Festival, Final Girls Berlin! It was a pleasure, as always, and I’m looking forward to next year’s fest!
Author’s Note: When this article was initially published, I had stated Weekend at the End of the World used AI. After an email from the film’s publicist and producer, I am updating that portion as we have been told they did not use AI in the creation of this film. Horror Press takes a hardline stance against the use of AI, generative or otherwise, and we will remain diligent on calling out its potential use and update where needed. We thank the crew behind this project for taking the time and clarifying how certain effects were created. It’s never our intention to punch down, but we owe it to our readers to be transparent and call out AI when we think we see it. However, this was not the case, and no AI was used in Weekend at the End of the World.
There is nothing wrong with a film festival that takes chances on films. Programming festivals seem like an incredibly tedious job that will always leave people underwhelmed, no matter how great the programming is. There are two films I screened at Another Hole In The Head that left me wanting more and questioning their inclusion within the festival. I’m sure these films worked for whoever picked them, but for me, they fell completely flat. And one of them was my most anticipated film from the festival.
Kombucha Review
Luke (Terrence Carey) is a down-on-his-luck musician who is stuck on the edge of recognition and nothing. His partner, Elyse (Paige Bourne), begs him to get a “real job” after his ex-band member, Andy (Jesse Kendall), mysteriously resurfaces with a too-good-to-be-true job offer. After taking this new job, Luke finds himself happy with the influx of money, but void of personal growth. His new boss, Kelsey (Claire McFadden), forces Luke to drink their company’s trademark kombucha, or else he’s out of a job. It turns out this mystery drink may just turn Luke into a shell of a man. Literally.
Kombucha was my most anticipated film screening at Another Hole In The Head. I was stimulated by the film’s description, which was described as Office Space meets Cronenberg. From that descriptor, I was expecting some pretty out-there comedic moments mixed with gnarly grossout scenes. Kombucha failed on both of those aspects. The film’s handful of jokes were fart and poop jokes that felt beyond out of place. (And this is coming from someone who loves fart and poop jokes.) On top of that, the film’s “Cronenberg” moments were few and far between.
Flat Visual Style Undercuts Kombucha’s Strong Concept
Co-writers Geoff Bakken and Jake Myers, and directed by Jake Myers, have an excellent concept on their hands. Even the film’s commentary hits perfectly. But the film’s bland writing takes the oompf out of the overall effect. I wanted much more from this film, visually. Matt Brown’s cinematography isn’t bad…it’s competent enough. At its core, this film just feels very by-the-college-textbook; dead-center framing with After-Effects-like handheld plugins make this film feel flat beyond belief. Some of the practical effects look good; unfortunately, I was checked out by that point.
Weekend at the End of the World Review
Karl (Clay Elliott) is reeling from his ex-girlfriend’s proposal denial. His best friend, Miles (Cameron Fife), decides to take him to his deceased grandmother’s cabin for a best friends’ weekend. Once at the cabin, Karl and Miles find themselves in a world of trouble when they open a portal to another dimension. These two friends, along with their nosy neighbor, Hank (Thomas Lennon), must travel through strange worlds in order to save their own.
Thomas Lennon is Weekend at the End of the World’s Biggest Missed Opportunity
One of my favorite things about actors like Michael Madsen (RIP) and Thomas Lennon is how they use/used their fame and time to bring independent horror films into the limelight. While that trajectory made a bit more sense for Madsen’s career, it has been a delight to see Lennon pop up here and there throughout the past decade in horror. Most horror fans delight in seeing a big-name actor take the time and star in a film that helps bring credence to a genre that was once looked upon with disgrace.
One of the two great things about Weekend at the End of the World was Thomas Lennon…and then they silenced him. Co-writers Clay Elliott, Gille Klabin, and Spencer McCurnin filled a script with teen-brained fart jokes in a way that feels lazy and cheap. Thomas Lennon’s ill-written character, who is nothing more than a punching bag for two characters who lack a single ounce of comedy or character, is (figuratively) castrated shortly into the film, and any sense of self the film had is then gone. While his character was flat, Lennon brought a sense of something to this empty film.
MeeMaw’s Practical Effects Are a Highlight
The film’s other standout moment is the practical effects used on MeeMaw. So much has been done in horror, and creating a new viscerally icky character is hard to do. MeeMaw’s character (creature?) design is delightfully awful to look at. She could have easily become the film’s star and propelled this film to be something if it had been more interesting. But this film’s story is bland and recycled from other stories.
I have so little to say about this film because it exists as an hour and a half of attempted flash, with little to nothing to add to the genre. The story is bland, the characters are flat, and the jokes will make a teenager laugh (before they inevitably go back to scrolling on TikTok). Full of D-grade visual effects that aren’t even fit for the year 2015, Weekend at the End of the World is an overall forgettable experience; it’s an apocalypse of entertainment…an exercise in futility. Not even Thomas Lennon or MeeMaw’s well-thought-out (and achieved) character design could save us from this…experience.
When you watch films for a living, you sometimes feel like you’ve seen it all. It’s hard to be surprised by films when you’ve seen everything from Salo to Inside to Slaughtered Vomit Dolls. For those looking for the next “big thing” in horror, the festival circuit is the best place to look. When I pressed play on Hoagie, I had no clue I was about to watch my favorite film of the year.
A Gooey Goblin and an Everyman Hero
An average family man, Brendan Bean (Ryan Morley), is left home alone while his family heads out for the weekend. While home alone, Brendan finds himself in the company of a homunculus zygote named Hoagie. Hoagie is a devilishly cute little goblin man that sprang to life from an alien egg and is about to give Brendan much more than he bargained for. When a right-wing militia attempts to get Hoagie back, Brendan and Hoagie find themselves in a fight for survival. Can this everyman save his new best friend? Or will these weekend warriors succeed in stealing this goopy goblin?
Hoagie toes the line between low-budget schlock satire and a genuinely great film. From the start, my reaction was nothing more than, “Ah, this film knows what it is.” As the minutes ticked by, I couldn’t help but notice how honestly incredible it was. Co-writers Matt Hewitt and Ryan Morley, under Matt Hewitt’s direction, have an incredibly heartfelt story of love and compassion that is wrapped up in a sinewy bow. I’ve said time and time again that horror comedy doesn’t typically work for me. Hoagie’s schtick never gets old for a singular second. Whether it’s poking fun at right-wing nazis who spend their weekends getting shirtless and “training” together, or literal poop jokes, Hoagie does not fail to deliver laughs and tears.
A Third-Act Bloodbath That Proves Hoagie Goes Hard
Just when you think the film has run out of tricks, you get hit with a third-act tour de force of blood, carnage, and mayhem. I’ve come across many festival films that I think could be used as wonderful teaching tools in film school…Hoagie could be used as a master class. This film demonstrates how filmmakers can effectively stretch a budget. They lean into the lo-fi aesthetic but never use it as a crutch. From the film’s unique and odd acting to its purposefully quirky, stilted dialogue, Hoagie is a film that does not fail to entertain all of the senses.
Hoagie Is One of the Best Indie Horror Films of the Year
I could go on, waxing poetic to hit a word count or get a pull quote. But Hoagie taught me that sometimes minimalism is best. It’s important to learn when to say too much and when to say enough. I’m stunned by how impressive a feature Hoagie is. This gooey little goblin gets at your heartstrings and refuses to let go. If you’re a fan of well-done, fully realized practical effects that have substance and style, then Hoagie is the fix you’ll find yourself chasing for years to come. Oh, and there are enough dong shots to make another full frontal ranking list.
If you get the chance to catch Hoagie, I cannot recommend enough that you do so. Humanity is not ready for these forces to be unleashed onto this world. You’ll laugh, you’ll cringe, you’ll squirm, but, most importantly, you’ll feel. Hoagie is more delicious than a fatty patty six-stack (with the beans).
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