Psychological Thriller/Horror Short Film
“…It’s always He Who Watches.”
Diagnosed with an incurable illness, Laura hangs on the edge of life and death as she is haunted by her recent past – and a mysterious figure. Directed by Katie Toomey and Kylee Wall. Starring Sarah Hoback and Eric T. Schroeder. Music by Jeremiah Nickerson. Originally created for The Collective V.3.
The Collective V.3 is ten indie horror shorts with a common theme. This volume features all female filmmakers with the theme “ten minutes to live.” It is produced by JABB Pictures.
Support independent film – own He Who Watches for $1. Available with 9 other short female-directed independent horror shorts on The Collective V.3 DVD, “Ten Minutes to Live” – $10 for ten films. Order it straight from Pants Cannon Media at pantscannonmedia.tumblr.com. It comes with a free hug.
Reviews are pouring in, with positive feedback!
Mail Order Zombie says:
The next short I’m going to look at is He Who Watches, directed by Katie Toomey and Kylee Wall. The short centers on a Laura played by Sarah Hoback and we’re told she has ALS and has very little time left in this world. She spends the short wrapping up her affairs, ending relationships, trying to get people to get on with their life as she comes to the end of hers. Well, the story is called He Who Watches, so you can kind of guess that there’s a he or a man watching her as she does all this. We wind up finding out who this man is and what his relationship is to Laura, what he has to offer, — and just kind of creep me out a little bit! He’s played by Eric T. Schroeder, and he’s really good, he’s probably one of the stand out performers I’ve seen so far in any of the shorts in The Collective. He’s got a very distinct look, very unique facial hair, costuming, he’s got a top hat, looks a little bit like death – but I don’t want to ruin the short. Anyways, Laura has brought things to a close and is pretty much near the end of her time and this man finally confronts her and offers her an opportunity to well, zag instead of zig. Anyway, I don’t want to spoil it, but it’s a really interesting short. And like I said, so far, he’s my favorite performer in The Collective. So, if nothing else I got to watch this really interesting and creepy looking character that I thought about more than once since watching He Who Watches!”
Son of Celluloid says:
If you could go back from your deathbed and change the course of your life, would you? That’s the question Laura must answer when she is presented an opportunity by a mysterious figure that watches her from the shadows. This is a cool little variation on the classic “Faustian bargain” tale. The man who plays the mysterious figure looks VERY familiar. I’m not sure, but I think he’s a horror host. Anyway, this one plays like a dark morality tale full of symbolism, and it succeeds.
A Southern Life in Scandalous Times says:
“He Who Watches” is a gothic tale of death. The final moments of life and how the mind responds to the explosion of emotion fuels this piece. This is a classic nightmare of how a person being taken over by disease deals with finality and regrets. The ending is a devilish treat.
Critics say –
“The strength of He Who Watches lies in Kylee Wall’s creatively nuanced script and in the foreboding performance by Schroeder….[O]verall Wall and Toomey accomplish quite a bit with this low budget psychological thriller.” -The Independent Critic
“[He Who Watches] hooked me.” – nerdremix
“Talk about a short that has a lot of hype. A lot of people have been bragging to me about this one.” – wicked channel
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He Who Watches premiered worldwide as part of The Collective V3 at Days of the Dead in Atlanta, GA on March 9, 2012. The film was finished in less than two months from pre-production and writing to musical composition – altogether, probably more like a week.
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IMDB: imdb.com/title/tt2171911/
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