When Survival Becomes a Choice

Read Time:4 Minute, 55 Second

MOVIE REVIEWS
Murphy's Ranch
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Genre: Thriller, Horror, Sci-Fi
Year Released: 2025, 2026
Runtime: 12m
Director(s): John Michael Riva Jr.
Writer(s): John Michael Riva Jr.
Cast: Hosea Chanchez, Lee Pugsley, Edward Fletcher, Jack Michael Doke
Where to Watch: shown at the 2026 Slamdance Film Festival

RAVING REVIEW: What happens when concealed ideology refuses to stay buried? MURPHY’S RANCH wastes no time establishing its tone. What begins as a routine job unfolds with a steady unease, the kind that creeps in rather than presenting itself in an obvious way. The film understands that the most effective horror often comes from recognition, the idea that something deeply wrong has been hiding in plain sight all along.

The premise of the story is straightforward; it’s the twist that really gets you. Two brothers take on a pool-cleaning job in the Los Angeles hills and stumble into something they were never meant to see. From there, the film tightens its grip, using restraint rather than chaos to guide the tension. Director John Michael Riva Jr. shows robust control over pacing, letting discomfort accumulate scene by scene until the stakes become unavoidable. For a film that’s only 12 minutes, that’s a remarkable feat!

Hosea Chanchez anchors the short with a grounded performance that gives the film its emotional center. As Nate, he moves with the ease of someone used to problem-solving on the fly, but that confidence slowly fractures as the situation reveals itself. His relationship with Asher, played by Lee Pugsley, is the film’s true core. Their bond feels genuine rather than constructed, which makes the danger surrounding them feel more immediate and personal.

Pugsley’s performance deserves particular recognition as a character whose perspective shapes the film’s anxiety. Asher’s vision disability is neither ignored nor exploited. Instead, the film naturally mixes it into the storytelling, adding structure and urgency. Sound, proximity, and intuition become tools rather than limitations, reinforcing the idea that perception takes many forms. The result is a portrayal that feels respectful, intentional, and effective.

MURPHY’S RANCH is elevated beyond a simple genre exercise by its depth and clarity. The film draws a direct line between hidden history and present-day danger, refusing to treat extremist ideology as a relic of the past. The horror here isn’t abstract. It’s rooted in the idea that systems of hate evolve, adapt, and wait for complacency. That undercurrent gives the short a moral weight that lingers well beyond its runtime. In our modern-day world, where our nation's leaders are enabling hate at levels that haven’t been seen since the Jim Crow era, this film focuses on an intimate story that has far larger implications.

The film makes strong use of contrast. Sun-bleached exteriors give way to spaces that feel controlled, sealed off, and watchful. Riva’s direction emphasizes the environment as a character in its own right, with surfaces and order concealing something far more sinister beneath. The production design supports this shift without drawing attention to itself, allowing the unease to build naturally.

Edward Fletcher’s presence adds a layer of threat, not through overt menace, but through projected certainty. His performance leans into restraint, which makes the implications of his character far more disturbing. The film understands that belief systems don’t always tell the world that they’re there; sometimes they smile, nod, and wait.

At just twelve minutes, MURPHY’S RANCH is impressively focused, yet also reaching for a much larger story. There’s little wasted time, and every scene serves a purpose. If there’s a limitation, it’s that the film’s final movement arrives so powerfully that it leaves you wanting just a bit more time inside this world to see what comes next. This restraint also works in the film’s favor, leaving the audience unsettled rather than overfed.

The short succeeds because it trusts its audience. It doesn’t over-explain its mythology or dilute its themes for comfort. Instead, it presents a scenario, sharpens it with character and intention, and steps back. The result is a piece of genre filmmaking that feels pressing without being preachy and tense without resorting to excess.

MURPHY’S RANCH is the kind of short that understands exactly what it wants to say and how long it has to say it. It’s focused, aware, and anchored by performances that give its ideas real emotional stakes. In a congested field of genre shorts, it stands out by refusing to look away from the implications of its own premise.

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[photo courtesy of RIVAWORKS]

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