There is something troubling when a figure of such civic stature as a judge begins to abuse their power; especially if you live in their household and are the object of their abusive attentions. This is exactly the trap that our lead character finds herself ensnared it at the top of Ryan Kaminski’s “The Gift”. Until a mysterious box arrives. But does it contain her salvation or will it deliver even further depths of doom. A gripping short horror thriller about the choices we make when there are no good choices.

Thrilling short that starts with a simmer and builds to a full boil. I wasn’t sure what type of tale was being told until the end, but I was in for the ride the whole way. Excellent story-telling. Sure to bring chills to any audience lucky enough to see this staged.

As an unashamed teratophile, I loved everything about this unconventional horror short and its enlightening central metaphor about what we consider monstrosity. The reversal was exciting, and the conclusion couldn't be more satisfying! It's packed with palpable tension from the very first image, with so many tiny details to track - keys and wallets and suitcases and more! There wasn't a moment when I wasn't engaged in actively putting the pieces together!