[REVIEW] Bite Sized Huluween: Top 3 LGBTQ+ Shorts

In celebration of Huluween, 20th Digital Studios Bite Sized Halloween series is back for a third season full of spooky shorts! Amongst the 20 shorts this season blending genres like horror, black comedy and sci-fi, the series includes a variety of queer short stories told by queer voices from around the world.

I was kindly given the opportunity to review this year's lineup of thought-provoking tales starring, written and directed by a whole cast of incredible people within the LGBTQ+ community (with some familiar faces too!). 

Here are my top 3 picks from 2022’s Bite Sized Halloween!

Ticks

Written by Sam Max, a non-binary writer and director known for creating “poetic spaces where death and dreams converge, making otherwordly encounters possible”. In my eyes, I don’t think there is any other better description to use when discussing Ticks.

Ticks stars an all trans/non-binary cast of all non-binary characters. I won’t lie, I gave a scream of joy that would not go amiss in a B horror movie when I saw Brigette Lundy-Paine on my screen! Being non-binary myself it was incrediblly refreshing and liberating to see gender-fluid characters on screen and more importantly also told and casted from people within the community. 

In the midst of a violent breakup, Jenny (Brigette Lundy-Paine) encounters a presence in the woods that causes them to turn against their partner and become thirsty for blood. A drifter camping out in the woods with their partner (Erin Markey) it is clear from the very first shots we see of the two this relationship is a boiling pot of hostility and toxicity. Having just been attacked by their partner, Jenny seeks refuge deeper into the woods. This is where we meet our unnamed demonic presence (Massima Bell), who is simply the embodiment of sensuality. The chemistry between Massima and Bridgette oozes off the screen (I would honestly love to see them work together again!). However in the midst of having sex, Jenny notices a bite mark on her thigh as they become infected with the same bloody thirsty disease as the demon.

The special effects and sheer amount of blood on the screen is like a love child between the Jennifers Body wood scene and the 2013 Evil Dead, it’s the perfect mix between lust, gore and the macabre. 

The perfect “horny horror” short flick without fetishing or overslexuaising the characters, Ticks is a excellently executed blend of a primal creature feature and a love story. I absolutely adored this short and I can’t wait to see what Sam Max does next.

Snatched

Directed and written by the award winning Michael Schwartz, Snatched is equal parts horor comedy and sci-fi with societal commentary thrown in. This was by far my favorite short on the list and one I could very much see being made into a feature! A graduate of USC, Michael mixes heart, smarts, and dark humor to tell topical stories where relatable characters are thrust into extraordinary circumstances. 

Starring a powerhouse cast including Tatiana Maslany, Brendan Hines and Misha Osherovich, Snatched crosses the lines of a coming out story with an alien invasion. Inspired by the tone deaf comments made by poltiicains during the height of the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, Michael wanted to write a story where the narrative around queer people was inverted. 

The story begins with our 15 year old protagonist (Misha Osherovich) who after sharing a tender moment with his boyfriend (who then ironically enough he hides in the closet) he comes out as gay to his parents. He is met with a quiet distance which unfortunately many of us can relate to, a very much sweep it under the carpet statement is made by his dad “let’s talk about it in the morning”. That night an alien invasion comes down upon San Francisco and he is met with otherworldly acceptance from his parents as they attempt to become the ultimate allies. The queer references galore, the slay fan and over the top tongue pops from Tatiana had me in absolute hysterics. 

Whilst this makes for peak comedy, it also makes us as the viewers reflect on the current political climate, “woke” culture, and toxic positivity. The stereotypes the parent play into of what they assume their son may be interested in and are desperately trying to mimic in an act of support in reality for a lot of queer people is what we experience from straight, cisgender allies and that can often minimize and deny the real hardships and fears faced when coming out.

Snatched truly is a rollercoaster of a short, in 10 minutes we as the audiences are fearing for the safety of Misha’s character, crying of laughter at the ridiculousness of Tatiana the next and being scared of the dad played by Brendan Hines who goes on a Shining-esque chase of his son.

Disposal

Directed and written by Luka Wilson. When coming up with the premise for Disposal, Wilson said she wanted to create a film based around the anxiety we have around everyday objects, like a garbage disposal and then building an interesting family dynamic around it, and this short certainly delivers on just that.

After a husband suspects his wife cheating on him after finding evidence of her infidelity, he is shocked to realize the identity of her lover isn’t a man, but a woman, and one of their close friends to add further salt to the wound. Seeing things from his point of view and his cisegnder, heteronormative limited thinking, it’s an ironic tragedy a s a viewer to watch the husband not notice the signs and the chemistry between the two, as he can never even fathom the possibility of his wife being queer.

Disposal does a great job in layering multiple, complicated family dynamics in just a few short minutes with an increasingly tense build of events that ultimately lead to the final horrific act. From the editing to the cinematography, the viewer is never given a sense of relief from the anxiety we feel for the wife as her secret is on the brink of being exposed. It brings about important conversations around monogamy, compulsory heteronormativity, and the impact of addiction on those around us.

I’m very much an advocate for horror that is based in real life. Often the most terrifying themes are one that aren't based in the cemetery but at the dinner table, showcasing the very real and complex horrors of the household.

Bite Size Halloween Season 3 is now streaming on Hulu.