PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Let’s be honest here – puppets are freaking creepy. Everything about them gives me goosebumps, but their glassy-eyed stare has always haunted me. I never was a fan of owning porcelain dolls and I sure as hell would never own a puppet of any kid. I guess that means I’ll never be a ventriloquist, but mad props to all the ones who excel at it. I don’t know how you do it with those plastic/wooden fuckers staring you all the time. Now that you know my fear of puppets, it will come to no surprise that the horror short film, Silently Within Your Shadow, left me leaving the night light on a little longer than I should.
Produced by Crossroad Pictures, Silently Within Your Shadow, is a brilliant horror short directed and written by Scott Lyus and stars Byron Fernandes, Sophie Tergeist, and the one and only Bill Moseley. It has won several awards throughout the past year at multiple film festivals because of its compelling storyline and awesome characters.
The story revolves around a ventriloquist named Lucette (Tergeist) and the love triangle between her, her boyfriend, Jace (Fernandes) and her puppet, Hugo (Moseley). Hugo has been her friend ever since she was a little girl, always standing by her side, but when he starts to interfere with her current relationship, what will Lucette do? Can she pick between the two loves of her life or will Hugo make the decision for her?
Silently Within Your Shadow isn’t your average Pinocchio story. However, I do wish he had some strings to hold him down. Hugo isn’t a puppet who wants to be a real boy, he’s a puppet who once was a boy… or so we think. But here’s the real question: how did he get trapped in that form? I have a feeling it was something awful and he was equally creepy in human form, just as much as he was a little wooden psycho as a puppet. A walking, talking, jealous, raging puppet is pretty terrifying enough, but Bill Moseley providing the vocals gave it that extra creep factor!
The acting was phenomenal by all parties, but Sophie Tergeist gave a stellar and chilling performance as Lucette. “So, if you can’t have him me, no one can?” It wasn’t until the end that you know how really disturbed she was. I can’t wait to see Tergeist in more roles, especially in the horror genre as she really knows how to capture the audience’s attention.
I’m always impressed when a short story leaves such a lasting impression and has me wanting more. Silently Within Your Shadow is a short that, although perfect that way it is, I would love to see a full-length feature to capture moments I am still curious about. More about Lucette and Hugo’s past is definitely something I’m interested in, yet I’m still left satisfied with the information that was given in just a brief amount of time.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this horror short film. It’s one of the best doll/puppet/toy stories I’ve seen in a long time and stands strong against Dead Silence (2007) and The Boy (2016). Silently Within Your Shadow shows that indie horror is a force to be reckoned with, delivering hauntingly beautiful stories all the time that leave us with chills down our spines.
