Starring: Jason Vail, Morgan Monnig, Shelby Washburn
Directed by: Tommy Faircloth
Written by: Tommy Faircloth
Running time: 30 minutes
Rated: Unrated (for mature audiences)
Short films have both their advantages and disadvantages. The thing I like about shorts is that in a limited amount of 
time you can get your point across very quickly. There’s not a lot of time for character development or intricate plot details, just good storytelling…hopefully. You don’t have to wait 90 minutes for the payoff; it’s a wonderful format for today’s ADD crowd. On the flipside, some shorts leave you wanting more that you just can’t get in the short form film. The Cabin is one of those films. It left me wanting more…more backstory, more character details and more killing, but that’s not a bad thing.
In The Cabin we meet Laura (Morgan Monnig) who is packing for a trip to her boyfriend John’s (Jason Vail – Abraham Lincoln vs. Zombies, Gut) vacation cabin in the mountains. Laura’s best friend warns her not to go as she has only been on three dates with John who she met online and does not know him well enough. Laura states that John has been a perfect gentleman and trusts him completely. Once at his cabin, Laura notices that John’s behavior has changed and is acting strangely. She begins to feel apprehensive about being there, that something is not quite right. Is it all in her head, or does she have good reason to be afraid of John?
Writer/director Tommy Faircloth knows how to draw the viewer into his world, if only for 30 minutes. With The Cabin, he’s crafted a fine tale of suspicion and suspense that ratchets up as the film progresses in the tradition of the superior modern thrillers.
The acting is top notch as both the leads are extremely effective in their roles. Jason Vail plays a wonderfully sinister character who really knows how to get under your skin while Morgan Monnig plays her character with just the right amount of naiveté to make her believable as she begins to question when red flags start to go up.
The film is shot well with good use of the beautiful mountain locations. The outdoor scenes are lit well while some of the interior shots were a little drab and lacked detail, but overall the film looked great. 
The only minor complaint I have with the film is that I found it to be a bit predictable because we know something is not right with John, we just don’t know what that might be, which is where the fun comes in.
The Cabin is a taut thriller that delivers on the chills and is an enjoyable short film that I wouldn’t mind seeing turned into a feature film. Currently, The Cabin is in the festival circuit and not surprisingly has been doing very well. It recently won Best Short at the San Antonio Horrific Film Fest and has been accepted into several more film fests both in the U.S. and overseas. So do yourself a favor and get out to see this short film, it’s 30 minutes you won’t regret, recommended!
3 ½ out of 5 Pentagrams!
Watch the trailer for The Cabin here:
Thanks Michael Really fantastic review!
I enjoyed your role Jason, my pleasure.