Bloody Mary / Dry January / Full Moon Glory Hole / Izzy / How to Stay Awake

Below is a smattering of capsule reviews of some of the finest short films that played 2025 Salem Horror Fest. The horror movie Festival ran from April 30 to May 4, 2025.

BLOODY MARY

Bloody Mary is a clever twist on an old curse, mixing in the familiar horror setup with a fresh conflict: you have to say the right words to end the Bloody Mary curse, but saying them wrong only makes things worse. Add in a hilariously awkward date, a snarky bartender who can’t understand why anyone would order a Bloody Mary at 8 p.m., and a few splashes of Evil Dead-style humor, and you’ve got yourself a pretty solid short that knows exactly how to balance scares with laughs.

DRY JANUARY

Dry January is a film that’s as weird as it is funny, tackling the horrors of trying to survive the trendy “dry January” fad. But when the very task you’re trying to conquer starts creating the kind of horrors that make you need a drink more than ever, the film goes a full 360, spiraling into chaos while still keeping a flippantly hilarious edge. It’s a sharp, offbeat take on the battle between self-improvement and self-destruction — and it’s an absolute blast to watch.

FULL MOON GLORY HOLE

Full Moon Glory Hole mixes classic werewolf lore with a drunk bully and a sexual act very heavily referenced in the film’s title. It’s a combination I don’t think anyone would have seen coming, but somehow it works splendidly, blending raunchy humor, horror, and bad decisions into a short that’s as ridiculous as it is entertaining.

IZZY

Izzy, directed by Yfke Van Berckelaer, is a sharply executed short that fires on all cylinders. The film is so well directed, so tightly edited, and so confidently put together that every beat lands exactly where it should. It’s a smart, stylish piece that shows real skill both behind the camera and in the way the story is delivered.

HOW TO STAY AWAKE

How to Stay Awake captures the brutal pain of trying to fight off sleep and mixes it with the creeping dread — and eventual payoff — of what happens when you finally give in. It’s an especially creepy short, playing on a simple fear in a way that feels both relatable and deeply unsettling, making every heavy eyelid feel like a loaded gun.