IT STARES BACK - COSMIC HORROR

Facing a crisis of faith, a woman demands to see the deity she has dedicated her life to. But, some things should remain unseen.
If you stare into the abyss long enough, it stares back at you - Friedrich Nietzsche
Written and Directed: Matt Sears
Starring: Renee Sears
DOP: Tim Knight
Score: Michael Vignola
Assistants: Cenk Yanki Karabulut, James Freeman
VFX and Sound Design: Matt Sears
For more cosmic horror check out
The Sky: • THE SKY - AWARD WINNIN...
The Gate: • THE GATE // AWARD WINN...
The Anomaly: • THE ANOMALY - SCP/COSM...
You can listen to the score on Spotify here!
distrokid.com/hyperfollow/mic...
To listen to more of Michaels music check out his channels
linktr.ee/michaelvignolamusic

[@jeremytitus9519]

*Being of fathomless and unencompassable terror says:* “Talk shit, get hit”

[@MattSears]

Haha! Wise words.

[@AFoxInFlames]

Perfect words.😂❤

[@michaellima1288]

It really said "fuck around and find out"

[@NothingIsKnown00]

Short indie horror films on KZbin is such a breath of fresh air. No over-explanation. No annoying characters. No bloat. Intense from the first moment.

[@habitualresistor9548]

9 out of 10 ain't bad.

[@MrJerichoPumpkin]

it is becoming ridicoulous how easy is to find top notch quality horror in the 5-20 minutes range here on KZbin compared to how difficult is becoming to see a new decent full-length horror movie

the character is kinda annoying, but then it gets interesting

[@alliemandleni5846]

Bloat?💀

[@TayWoode]

But then people always say “this needs to be made into a feature length” when it obviously doesn’t and yet they’re usually the same type of people with short attention spans who can’t focus too long

[@On-The-Way78]

One of the finest portrayals of genuine cosmic horror. I dare say Mr Lovecraft would of been proud of your work.

[@MattSears]

Thank you! That is a BIG compliment.

[@KosMik_Skul]

fr fr. lol but I agree. without a doubt. you perfectly nailed one of the few peaks of true cosmic horror. I haven't been that disturbed, freaked out, unsettled, and horrified by any horror videos in awhile... and never by a video that's that unbelievably simple and under 10 minutes short! amazing job man! you're a true artist.

[@Ibi_ms]

I fully agree with this

[@ivanbraidi]

The last part is pure cosmic horror at its finest. Exceptional visual and sound design.

[@bhaskarsharma991]

The fact that she could not open her eyes is enough to terrify me. It can actually happen in real during sleep paralysis. Great work again, Matt

[@virlas1371]

i couldn't open my eyes once when i woke up with conjunctivitis and having that as a kid was enough to make me scream for help.

[@roberttarmann2942]

I actually had that happen once. My mind "booted up" before my body did. I was fully lucid, yet couldn't move a muscle or even open my eyes for a time. Absolutely one of the most horrifying moments in my life.

[@KosMik_Skul]

well, yeah duh... sleep PARALYSIS means u can't do anything, including opening your eyes. if you've actually had it before u would know. and it's no joke. it really is terrifying, coupled with the other things u feel, n sense, hear, and "see" in that darkness. but it would be pretty weird n unusual if that was the only thing you couldn't move or do...

[@KosMik_Skul]

holy shit, it is especially in this context while she's in direct contact with the abyss. goddamn scariest video I've seen period in awhile. but that part REALLY sells it!

[@isaidwtfover]

I can see that happening.

[@Retroo64]

What makes this more terrifying is the fact of what it is, my guess is an elder god, but it’s left up to interpretation. Cosmic horror at it’s finest. Amazing work.

[@svendtang5432]

Its actually a very god depiction of the Christian god

[@Just_A_Simple_Time_Traveller]

The concepts of elder god and such is introduced by H.P Lovecraft in his works, for his works. While they are often used elsewhere, they are in no way universally applicable. As such I do not think they can really be used to classify anything outside of that universe. I think trying to would against the meaning of the work. But if you were to use that to classify it, I agree.

[@adw6894]

​@@svendtang5432 What kind of cruel god is that? . People really worship this sheety god? lol

[@blueberrypawsome]

@@adw6894Doesnt really sound like the Christian god

[@higaiwokeru]

I think what’s more terrifying is how easy it is to make this incomprehensible, powerful being of the cosmos angry These creatures are beyond our level of understanding, we are nothing but ants to them, less than ants yet if we even dare to talk back to them, or say something they don’t like, they won’t hesitate to drain you of your life and sanity

[@Alexanderthetitan]

Cosmic horror just got real! This is one of the scariest films I’ve seen in awhile.

[@MattSears]

Thanks man, really appreciate it! Great to hear from you, you're killing it.

[@Spam1192]

This is incredible. It perfectly captured that sense of smallness that is so hard to show on screen.

[@MattSears]

Thank you! Really glad it managed to capture that!

[@sunsetfox75]

“You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” - Exodus 33:20

[@tristankramer4636]

Personally, I’d say this is your best cosmic horror film. The visualisation of the human mind’s incomprehension of God, and the greater cosmos is fantastic!

[@gootshall]

It actually reminded me of what angels are described as looking like.

[@d4mdcykey]

And with each film, Matt, you demonstrate that rare talent in a director who really understands the visceral and arcane language of film. As always, superb work, sir, and hats off to your team.

[@MattSears]

Thank you for the kind words as always! Always really nice to see familiar names checking backing in on new work, so thank you!

[@dilpickles5928]

It's a warning.. It's human nature to want to know the "truth" of our existence.. But that truth may be far more terrifying than blissful ignorance. The void is deeper than the deepest ocean.. And the horrors at those depths may be beyond conception.

[@callangb7652]

Or maybe they’re not. Could be both even

[@russellsimienii9343]

What I do know is God rewards courage

[@christopherecatalano]

Wow. That creeped the hell out of me. Amazing looks and sound design throughout. The final "transition" was very frightening.

[@MattSears]

Thank you!!!

[@IsmaelSilva7]

What a short. And great actress.

[@ReneeSe-entertainer-actress]

Thank you. I loved playing this part.

[@MrPhife333]

Wow, what an amazing video! It so succinctly sums up Lovecraft. "There's probably nothing out there at all. But if there is something out there, it doesn't care about you. It just wants to eat you."

[@muhdahnaf7927]

The cinematography is great. I love how the actress feel angry and disbelieved in the same time, before the climax. And the deity for sure, is a one hell of a deity

[@MattSears]

Thank you very much! Appreciat the kind words.

[@muhdahnaf7927]

@@MattSears I figure out the actress is your mother, because of the same last name. Both of you and the other crews did a great job

[@MattSears]

@@muhdahnaf7927 Cheers, yeah that's my mum. She did do a great job, as always! I'll pass on the kind wods.

[@muhdahnaf7927]

@@MattSears My pleasure :)

[@muhdahnaf7927]

@@MattSears I've watched Toby, Tabitha and The Sky. For their respective horror sub-genres, they are well-made. I like 'Tabitha' the most, particularly because of the build-up, how you 'double' your mother in same scene, and the unexpected ending. The murder scene looks disturbing although there's no visual of it. But I have to credit 'The Sky' for its almost-ethereal CGI and VFX

[@jt1939]

Absolutely brilliant. The score itself is so ominous and creepy, love it.

[@MattSears]

Big shout out to Michael Vignola!

[@andrewvarcoe4741]

Wicked job, loved the way you introduced the cosmic entity, usually its an eye or something p, but this captures what a cosmic being might be like just to look at it. Loving the cosmic horror videos that are coming out, the creatures from lovecrafts work are really interesting creations of the imagination. Gives an idea of what our minds can grasp and understand. Lots of people say its hard to do a cosmic being, but if you start with cosmic images and then work in the parts of living creatures you can make some interesting ideas. Like this one starting as stars and working into a soul eating hole of sorts, like a mouth without teeth. I am a lover of these types of creatures, because of how they interact with he universes they exist in. Really loving the shorts coming out with those creatures, especially becuse I have been trying to write and give explanations for why they would be as they are. The way they treat humanity and how they interact with the universe, I can totally understand why most show monstrous creatures following or representing them, like a creature that howls and wears a mask seen in another short, I can easily explain why the monstrous physiology and why human's heads burst when they look upon some, I could use real biology and technology to explain how they could be real. Wicked stuff

[@micahp988]

Your comment should be hearted ♥️

[@jamescabeen6963]

Anyone making a cosmic horror film could use scenes like this. Very good.

[@KittyCrystal]

Beautiful, gut-wrenching work as always, Matt. I wish more people would explore the horror that stems from not knowing which is worse: There being no God or there being a God who judges us. Thank you for also giving us a behind-the-scenes peek! Love your work, keep it up!

[@MattSears]

Thank you!! You're more than welcome. It's a very scary thought for sure, I think the former scares me more. Glad you enjoyed the BTS too. Always working on new stuff so hopefully won't be too long before the next piece!

[@lukasbauer8783]

The second, definitely the second.

[@cthulhu4411]

It isn't good or evil it's chaos , Azathoth is so powerful that looking into it is pure madness to a human there is no morality with cosmic horror only humans losing thier sanity becaus ether cannot handle such an uncomphrehendable being , Azathoth is like a supermassive black hole that destroys and consumes everything in its path and cares nothing for personal ideology or belief just as the universe cares nothing for us either it feels nothing it simply exists and is Chaos itself !

[@gen-zeke-8571]

Cosmic Horror is so mind altering and in such a good way. Better than many 90-120 minute horror films.

[@Werzagig]

I love the musical score in this. Very fitting.

[@johncarey1634]

Not realizing this was the same channel I was like wait that lady played the mom in The Sky!

[@MattSears]

Haha! Yeah same lady, she'll be happy you recognised her. Cheers for watching.

[@Msmary98-98]

@@MattSearswill you be bringing the other two back who also starred on the sky? I knew she looked and sounded familiar but I just couldn’t place her 😂

[@xavieno]

This was incredible, you are a master of your craft!

[@MattSears]

Thank you! Not sure about master just yet, but i'll take it haha.

[@thedanrobergeexperience7881]

Wow! It’s insane on how having a vision, talent and good writing can come that close to H.P.’s vision, while big budget movie fails to do it!

[@sikozen]

Not me at 4:02 snapping and clapping at the screen, screaming 'That's what you wanted!' and knocking my drink over. Holy crow. This is TERRIFYING. 👏👏🌹🌹 Brav-o. Seriously. That was really great. 10/10 recommend to anyone skimming the comments.

[@MattSears]

Amazing!! Thanks for the recommendation! Haha. Thanks for watching, really glad it got to you!

[@isaidwtfover]

Good grief. You ok?

[@panthusiast8472]

20 seconds into the score and i already got the goosebumps. Great job on the score.

[@nachgeben]

I'm so glad that you posted the Making Of for this, if only because KZbin saw it fit to not show me you posted on my sub list, and I don't get notifications for anything, either. I love how it looks like the human iris when viewed up close/with equipment like a microscope, the running theme matching the title regarding eyes/vision/looking. You're always amazing, Matt.

[@MattSears]

Always battling the algorithm haha. Really happy yo managed to find it and appreciate the kind words! It was definitely a fun challenge creating the look, but a big challenge so really happy you liked the look.

[@AskMarkieMark]

A great little Michael Crichton moment..."be careful what you ask for" or better yet "you were so busy wondering IF you could do something, you never stopped to think if you SHOULD."

[@HowlinMadBob]

simple premise, great acting on her part. phenominal conclusion! love the visuals and audio!... well done!

[@ReneeSe-entertainer-actress]

Thanks so much for your comment about my acting :)

[@ROPictures]

Amazing! Everything from the camera work to the sound. Pitch perfect!

[@MattSears]

Thank you! Was great fun making this. Mike score was amazing, it'll be out on Spotify soon.

[@connorgirvin17]

This is incredible - probably some of the most powerful cosmic horror I've seen, in such a raw and personal form. Also, as an avid 40k fan, I imagine this is what happens when the Gods notice you...

[@guyvizard549]

I used to briefly judge short film competitions, and this is great: pithy, scary, and a great performance from the lead. Simple and so effective. Very much in keeping with cosmic horror without the obvious tentacle monsters.

[@volvogeeza]

Bro was flabbergasted

[@VictorReynolds]

Be careful for what you ask for, you just might get it! Excellent story!

[@adw6894]

Asking for a sign of god is an innocent wish. Nothing wrong with it, and it harms no one. What kind of nazi cruel god would kill an old woman just because she wish to see him. He's just not worth her worshipping

[@JermaineGrant]

This is just brilliant!

[@MattSears]

Thank you, you're briliant.

[@sirvazo1633]

Nicely done. Captures well the concept of deep cosmic horror 👍

[@daviddamascus9657]

That was really entertaining. When she starts expressing how she's seen enough you definitely sense the enxiety and fear that builds. Its cosmic horror so you know this isnt going to go well for the lady but you were able to get the trepidation across anyway.

[@MrConduct]

My first acid trip 😮. Bravo Matt

[@MattSears]

Hahaha! You're welcome. Was actually inspired a lot by peoples stories of DMT.

[@stacieball977]

This was amazing! Wish it were longer!

[@patrickcarleton3924]

One word...WICKED! So simple yet so deep!

[@gangsterbro3406]

How did you pull off the galaxy goddess? That was really impressive and terrifying

[@niyah4359]

Everything, Everything from the isolation in the woods, to the shallow depth of the back ground showing the isolation in her mind. To the tight camera shots letting us know just how intense this is going to be. To the cold color grading making us feel the chill in the film. To the embodiment of a disrespected God taking vengeful action to those who deny him in time of crisis to the protagonist not being able to free herself from her own eyes. To the delicious B-rolls this film was 6 minutes of captivity I didn't want to get away from.

[@suvojitpal6967]

It was fine af .... totally fire 🔥❤️. I love it ❤️. I remember reading something similar to this in a Lovecraft's story. I forgot the name of the story, but in that too, there was a human who could see into the darkness and the beings who lived in that darkness, but one day a creature or a god stared right back at him and from that point on his life changed. Thank you for bringing such a nice story into live action. ❤️🔥

[@MattSears]

Thank you! Really glad you enjoyed it. It's a really fascinating thought, I find myself quite drawn to the otherwordly.

[@deevan1415]

There's a 1963 film called "X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes" that has a similar plot.

[@ryancorey8551]

Obviously an old deity, ignores you till you piss it off.

[@deliriumarts]

beautiful camera angles and super gloomy atmosphere. Very captivating! Absolutely lovecraft would sends his regards.

[@MattSears]

Thank you very much! It's quite easy to create something gloomy filming in the UK haha. Tim did a great job on the cinematography.

[@sassysteveartist]

Absolutely bloody perfect. Bravo, and encore! 🙏🙏🙏

[@prophetofhorror]

Wow. Powerful in its simplicity.

[@christianv-h3278]

Oh my gosh YES! Cosmic horror from Matt Sears himself? How did I not find out about this new film earlier?! Gonna watch it straight away 😁

[@MattSears]

Thanks! Hope you enjoyed it!

[@selenita363]

Very unsettling, you really feel powerless. Great work!!

[@pekinobo]

Yes! I was thinking about what have happened to your channel a few days ago and now - this one drops. Love it. i so wish someone could give you loads of money to do a long/longer/full lenght movie. Untill that happens; Thank You Matt Sears for giving us horror and excellent visuals.

[@MattSears]

I'm still here! That's the dream , working hard to make it happen! Until then i'll be uploading more work here, hopefully the next one won't be quite so late. Thanks for following my work and watching, really appreciate the support.

[@thecosmiclovecraftian]

Yes I want this too ... someone give matt all the funding he needs so he can make a feature length version of his trailers "The Gate" and "The Anomoly" .... let's get seriously into the weeds of cosmic dread and other dimensional terror and body horror .... matts leading the charge 👍🏻💪🏻

[@pekinobo]

@@MattSears "Live your dream, but stay awake" as Momoko would say. I would like to ask if you have any plans of, like, putting out a DVD/BluRay with all your shorts and possible behind the scenes and so on? I really admire your visual style and hope to see more. Stay safe and Thank You.

[@pekinobo]

@@thecosmiclovecraftian Hello fellow Lovecraftian fan. I so enjoyed the trailer for "The gate" somehow my mind starting to go "we shouldn´t be here" and that is so freaking scary. 100% Agree with you, Matt is leading the charge. We need honest and scary cosmic horrors. A question, No need to answer if you don´t want to, but... what do you feel about "nihilistic" horrors? Not really sure, by the way, if it is a true term in horror, but the feeling of it "that everything is going to (bliiip) and so on" it gets me in a way. Sorry for the long text and late reply. Stay safe.

[@thecosmiclovecraftian]

​@@pekinoboI didn't know what nihilistic horror meant so I looked it up and found this definition "Nihilism is the view that there are no values; that, in the grand scheme of things nothing we do is important, and everything we hold dear will be swallowed by a gaping, cold void" If this is correct, then yes this kind of horror really gets me too, it's terrifying, and I can spend way too much time sometimes thinking about how everything and everyone we love will be gone some day in the next 80 ish years, ..... I can't even explain why I love cosmic horror and that feeling of dread so much ... and look for films that depict that feeling of utter despair and Foreboding.... possibly because I know its a safe dread, and it's not in the real world... and then my mind starts questioning whether it could all be real and lovecraft was mentally ill because he knew all this stuff he wrote of was based on knowledge he had ...... it's a hell of a can of worms for your mind to open

[@vincent52542]

wow this was very good i liked it thumbs up good ending

[@MattSears]

Thanks Vincent!

[@TheFlyingRaptor]

Wow, that was amazingly creepy

[@jeffreysmith694]

This was your best piece of work. Really felt the Lovecraftian vibe.

[@MattSears]

Thanks Jeffrey! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@brandyyoda]

Man, you knocked this one out of the park ! My favorite so far. 6 minutes… and I was drained.

[@Wercik997]

Good cosmic horror is good!

[@MattSears]

Cheers!

[@susannoulton7634]

Wow that was very good. More of this please.

[@danielamiriamlopespereira2458]

Deserves a movie!

[@brandyyoda]

It IS a movie

[@TayWoode]

I wish people would stop saying horror shorts need to be a full length movie when they’re the same people with short attention spans who who usually can’t focus for longer than ten minutes

[@unodos149]

Very compelling, entertaining

[@peopleoftheblackcircle9365]

That was great! Once again, well done and thank you, mr Sears!

[@damurfam]

this is amazing, perfectly done from idea to execution.

[@petertaylor4954]

Really cool. The cinematography, the sound, everything. Epic.

[@necronomiconjones8040]

awsome, and a great performance.

[@LuxOcula]

Brilliant!!

[@ovadiabenzedek]

Simply amazing.

[@X1in]

this is very well done :D

[@lepobres9626]

Bro this shit is insane, AMAZING, GOOD JOB, its the first short i see from you, and its incredible, keep going!

[@MattSears]

Cheers man!! Glad you enjoyed it. Got some other good ones on my channel, go check em out!

[@joshuafrench2727]

Welcome back! Amazing video!

[@MattSears]

Thank you, cheers for watching.

[@koskou001]

That was great, the visuals were crazy!

[@MattSears]

Thank you! I had a lot of fun with those.

[@Yennerf]

Oh my god. 😮‍💨 was not expecting that. I kept leaning in at the end 😅

[@TomasHradckyComposer]

Excellent work.

[@wubajay]

Fantastic

[@AllThingsFilm1]

I loved it. When you invest so much into an idea that exists solely in your mind, the moment you cry for it to reveal itself you realize you're really blind.

[@epimisti]

Great work! I think it encapsulates a lot of concepts that make cosmic horror great.

[@Blackdragonsama]

i LOVE this. no jumpscares, just so, so much creepiness and unease

[@TeamGaymerTV]

Great stuff, well done!

[@pommydiva1]

this was unbelievably great. At first i had the impression she was just a whinging old woman, but wow, what a twist at the end. great special effects too.

[@mikeyreed7451]

This deserves way more credit. The cosmic horror vibe was here perfectly, if there’s more made from this I’d watch it no questions ask. When she’s begging that she’s scared I knew it was about to get serious.

[@colin2utube]

We've probably all done that bargaining with a supernatural being whether believers or not, in the hope of a positive outcome to some difficult situation, never anticipating an even worse one !

[@ewintertyler]

Over this film! You really captured the eel of cosmic horror. Well done!

[@jt1939]

"The eel of cosmic horror" Lol, now there's a film I would like to see!

[@stephenbarningham330]

WOW! JUST! WOW! BRILLIANT! it looked as if tamara from the RING had gotten a hold on her! 😆 FANTASTIC! THANKYOU!

[@000aleph]

This is absolutely decent. Well done!

[@terrelldorsey7945]

That was awesome, loved it❤

[@DJTheMetalheadMercenary]

That was cool, awesome work!!!

[@MattSears]

Thank you!

[@suziq1963]

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Awesome film.!! Cheers from Australia.!! 😁🇦🇺👍🏻...

[@MattSears]

G'day from England, cheers for watching, appreciate the support!

[@suziq1963]

@@MattSears G'day Matt.!! You are an awesome writer/director.. I've watched nearly everything that you have posted on this platform.. I love your work.!! Cheers.!! 😁🇦🇺✌🏻...

[@MattSears]

@@suziq1963 Thank you so much! Thats really nice to hear. Hopefully the next film will be out a little quicker haha.

[@aliasbernardopaguro7475]

Oh...yes...absolute amazing! This is connected to the videos:the Gate, the Anomaly and the Sky?

[@MattSears]

Thank you! No intended connection with these, but it does fit quite nicely with The Gate!

[@17samalex]

MOST EXCELLENT

[@richmckeemusic]

Smashed it again man, insane fx and fantastic premise. Well done 👏 ❤🎉

[@MattSears]

Cheers bro!

[@ricktheexplorer]

Whoa, glad I stumbled here. Great work subbed and belled.

[@cosmicvizionfilms]

this was beautifully shot! keep making cosmic horror!

[@IceCenders]

very very good! especially, very good makeup at the end, quite otherworldly chilling!

[@casechow]

SOMEONE THROW A MOVIE STUDIO AND A BAG OF AWARDS AT THIS MAN

[@MattSears]

THANK YOU! i'll take it!

[@mohitsinghal1428]

very nice, real piece of art..🙂👍

[@MattSears]

Thank you! Really appreciate it.

[@mohitsinghal1428]

keep providing us such a good short horror movies..👍

[@MattSears]

@@mohitsinghal1428 Thank you! I will do.

[@vernalc2449]

Well done, Matt! I watched your video about the bunnies yesterday and this one was just as well done. Your mom did an awesome job, too!!

[@ReneeSe-entertainer-actress]

Thank you 😊 Matt is a great director🙂

[@lordbobby198]

Amazing

[@kii5474]

Amazingly done!! The acting was superb in this one

[@ReneeSe-entertainer-actress]

Thank you so much :)

[@herreaper486]

Yooooooo that was AWESOME!!!!!!

[@robertcarey45]

Hi, I loved Catch Your Breath and want to say It Stares Back is beautifully shot and eerie.

[@MattSears]

Thank you! Much appreciated, Tim did a great job.

[@robertcarey45]

You are very welcome, everybody did a wonderful. Job.

[@jenxstv1067]

WOW 🤯 absolutely brilliant!! I'm such a fan now and I look forward to seeing more of your work 😉

[@MattSears]

Thank you very much!! Looking forward to bring you more!

[@DeadPixel1105]

Fantastic.

[@the_wild_hunt1301]

almost as good as The Sky. Love the work. The moral of the story is "careful what you wish for" looking forward to more from you.

[@MattSears]

Cheers! Have a few scripts lined up, just figuring out which one feels right to make next. Will have a BTS for this film coming out shortly.