When it comes to horror films, I’ll be the first to admit I’m no connoisseur. Blood and guts usually get me all squeamish. So, a horror short has to be pretty damn good to get my recommendation. Well, fortunately, Don’t Move is damn good. Part of a larger project, this film is the 8th entry in the Bloody Cuts anthology—a series of 13 short horror films that are being released over at bloodycuts.co.uk.

If you’re a scare fan, you won’t come away disappointed—the film delivers the gore in spades. And, yes, if you share my predilection to squirm, there’s plenty to make you shield your eyes. But, structurally, Don’t Move  does some innovative things. For one, the film starts its story late and gets out early. Director Anthony Mellon and writer David Scullion know why their audience is here, so they don’t waste time with unnecessary setup and false alarms. After a brief credit sequence, the kills come messy and quick. To put the plot in more blunt terms, friends play with Ouija board, friends unwittingly unleash supernatural demonic force, friends find themselves struggling to not die at the hands of said demon. And, therein lies another interesting genre twist—to avoid the monster they have to stay still.

Too often, horror movies are about the chase—the dashing escape from the crazed lunatic with a chainsaw. But, what about a scenario where you can’t run at all? Fleeing isn’t an option, and for some reason, that makes things creepier. It’s just you, your shaking body, and a demon thirsty for blood. As you can imagine, the resulting tension is palpable.

For an  indie endeavor, production values are sharp. Gorgeous lighting makes the kills especially cinematic (believe me, even if you don’t fancy all that gore, you’re going to want to stick around for the final kill). The creature design is especially impressive—a combination of practical horror and CG embellishments. The result? Something that looks unique and familiar at the same time.

If you dig this short, be sure to check out the previous films in the Bloody Cuts anthology, especially Suckablood, a short horror fairy tale that did gangbusters online.