Horror That Doesn’t Waste a Second

Read Time:5 Minute, 33 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
The Trick
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Genre: Horror, Thriller, Short
Year Released: 2025
Runtime: 4m
Director(s): Chris Baker, Matt Fitch
Writer(s): Chris Baker, Matt Fitch
Cast: Jennie Eggleton, Matthew Platt, Rowan Polonski
Where to Watch: shown at the 2026 FrightFest Glasgow

RAVING REVIEW: This short film opens with a feeling more than a premise. Something is off, even before the situation takes shape. The setting is simple, the dynamic familiar, but there’s an immediate sense that this isn’t going to play out predictably. THE TRICK doesn’t spend time establishing comfort; it starts from a place of quiet tension and builds from there. This feels more like a thought in a larger journey than a complete story, but it’s that thought that’s so powerful that it works on its own.

At four minutes, there’s no room for hesitation, and the film understands that. It moves with purpose, introducing its characters and the vague ideas of a story in quick, deliberate strokes. Rita isn’t given a long introduction or a detailed backstory. Jennie Eggleton communicates everything that matters through presence alone. There’s a natural weariness to her, the kind that suggests routine, repetition, and a desire to just get through the night without difficulty. That grounding becomes essential once things start to shift.

Rowan Polonski’s “Man in Black” arrives as both the film’s hook and its biggest risk. The performance leans into something heightened, almost theatrical at times, but it works within the film’s tight structure. In a longer format, that approach might start to feel excessive. Here, it gives the character an immediate identity. He doesn’t feel like part of Rita’s world. He feels like an interruption, something that doesn’t belong but refuses to leave.

The dynamic between the two is where the film finds its momentum. There’s curiosity, skepticism, and just enough engagement to keep Rita from walking away. That decision becomes the film’s tension, setting up the ending. Not whether something supernatural is happening, but whether she should have entertained this moment in time at all. The writing keeps the focus narrow, letting the situation escalate without distraction.

Matthew Platt’s landlord plays a smaller role, but it’s a useful one. He anchors the environment in a real but heightened world, giving the opening moments a sense of normalcy that makes the shift into something darker feel more abrupt. Once he exits the equation, the film closes in, both literally and narratively.

What stands out most is how efficiently the film builds its atmosphere. There’s no reliance on extended setup or layered exposition. It uses tone, pacing, and performance to create unease. The score and sound design play a key role in that, adding a sense of inevitability to what’s unfolding. Even when the visuals leave you questioning everything, there’s a growing suggestion that something isn’t operating by normal rules.

The concept itself is simple, we’re introduced to a stranger, a deck of cards, a trick that goes too far. But the film understands that simplicity doesn’t have to mean predictability. It doesn’t try to reinvent the idea of a sinister magician. Instead, it focuses on execution, making sure each moment pushes toward something more unsettling than the last.

The film hits its beats perfectly, but it doesn’t have the space to build deeper tension or explore the implications of what’s happening. The escalation feels immediate, sometimes almost too immediate, leaving little room for dread to settle in before the payoff arrives. It works in the moment, but it also leaves you wondering how much more effective it could be with just a little more breathing room.

That limitation ends up being the biggest factor holding it back. The idea at the center of THE TRICK is genuinely strong, the kind that could stretch into something far more layered if given room to evolve. In such a confined format, it risks brushing up against almost generic horror territory without separating itself from it. What’s here is engaging and refined, but it also feels like a condensed version of something that wants to go further. It works, it’s fun, but it leaves a sense that there’s more to uncover than the runtime allows.

The things that the film gets right, it gets right quickly. It knows how to establish a situation, build tension, and deliver a payoff without losing focus. There’s not a wasted movement, no unnecessary detours. Everything is aimed toward that final shift, and the film commits to it without hesitation.

There’s more here than just the outcome, but the simplicity of the setup. A small decision, a moment of curiosity, a willingness to engage with something that should have been ignored. THE TRICK doesn’t overstate its message, but it’s clear enough. Some doors don’t need to be opened, and once they are, there’s no guarantee they’ll close again. For a short film operating on this scale, that clarity matters. It doesn’t aim to be more than it is, but it also doesn’t undersell its premise. It delivers exactly what it promises, with just enough style and control to make it stick.

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[photo courtesy of BACKMASK PICTURES]

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