MAMU | Horror Short - starring Emma Bellomy, "The Strangers: Prey at Night"

A single mother (Emma Bellomy, “The Strangers: Prey at Night”) struggles to take care of her baby while haunted by a dark spirit.
[Cast & Crew]
Written, Directed, Produced, Shot, & Edited by Michael Skanes
Starring | Emma Bellomy
Story | Michael Skanes & Jessica Skanes
Associate Producers | Lucy Ritter, Dane Ritter, & Sarah Ritter
Composer | Philip Kreyche
Production Designer | Lucy Ritter
Production Sound | Perry Ritter
Visual Effects | Bobby Chang
Title Design | Joey Salim
Special Thanks to Jay Dallen and Austin Chesnutt
[Awards & Nominations]
🏆 Outstanding Horror Short | Sherman Oaks Film Festival
🏆 Outstanding Director - Horror | Sherman Oaks Film Festival
🏆 Outstanding Horror Short | Film Invasion LA
▶ Best Horror/ Thriller | Pasadena International Film Festival
▶ Best Horror - Best Director - Best Actress - Best Cinematography - Best Editor | Austin Spotlight
▶ Best Horror | FirstGlance Film Festival
▶ Best Supernatural Short | Atlanta Horror Film Fest
▶ Best Horror Short - Best Thriller - Best Original Score | Ethereal Horror Fest
[Official Selections]
▶HorrOrigins Film Fest
▶Austin Spotlight Film Festival
▶Crimson Screen Horror Fest
▶Pasadena Int’l Film Festival
▶Film Invasion Los Angeles
▶FirstGlance Film Festival
▶Atlanta Horror Film Festival
▶HorrorHaus Film Festival
▶Ethereal Horror Fest
▶Sherman Oaks Film Festival
Shot on the Sony a7S III
Edited and Graded in DaVinci Resolve
© Skanes Films

[@hamzashaikh571]

I know this is a western concept, but i find it weird and unacceptable that they keep their babies alone in a separate room even at nights... I mean here in Asian countries, no way the parents would even think of keeping their babies separately in a room for the whole night. There's so much potential danger in such scenarios. The baby may not be able to cry even if he / she is in pain, may get hurt and what not. I don't know why it's so much normal in Western countries

[@KarlBlade-ti9yd]

Well said.

[@4amcripple]

It's not as common in the southern part of the US. More people keep their kids in their rooms when they are still little.

[@akshay_persona]

Idiotic western cultures!!

[@zainabkhan8198]

Tabhi inke bacche inko nikal dete h inke budde hone pr ghr se

[@SabinaAli81]

And they don’t put blankets over babies for warmth and that’s security feeling either 🤷🏻‍♀️ Also mirror in front of a bed is very bad

[@leonadrian7257]

Very creepy/scary. But who puts their baby back in the crib after seeing that on their phone lol

[@skanesfilms]

Hahaha

[@amlockwoods]

The concept of a baby being in potential danger is the most horrific thing anyone could experience. Very well done! Makes you think!

[@skanesfilms]

Definitely makes you double check the monitor more often. Thank you!

[@daniellewillis2767]

No, my beloved dogs being in danger freaks me out more than any baby

[@amlockwoods]

@@daniellewillis2767 to each their own, dogs are just as important they are after all man’s best friend

[@kucingajaib9880]

Thank goodness the baby and the cat are safe ❤

[@skanesfilms]

Maybe check the bonus scene during the credits… lol

[@christ9359]

Well, thank goodness the cat is safe, anyway.

[@tinaj1816]

That baby is so cute❤

[@afsaratasnia9150]

I live in Bangladesh our babies stay by our mother's side 24/7 and here are you guys living in the south and keeping your babies in the north

[@envermehdiyev2061]

😂 bu elaa kommentariya idi! Eynən bizlerde bebeylerimizi yanimizdan ayirmiriq

[@skanesfilms]

I’m very excited to finally share Mamu! I hope you enjoy it and I’d love to hear what everyone thinks. I’ll be checking in to answer any questions, too. But first a quick backstory on how this film was created. While sitting up late one night with my daughter, I received an alert on the baby monitor that motion was detected in her nursery. I swear nothing was in her room so I was left to wonder what it could be. And so, the concept behind "Mamu" was created.

[@kellylott9296]

I'm at the 1 minute 56 second mark... I'm scared to keep going lmao .. so.. well done .. mission accomplished.. I saw the creepy movement ... After watching and rewatching several times... Okay I'm going to proceed.... So thank you for sharing how you came up with the concept. That's a creepy story. I'm glad you didn't end up seeing anything creepy irl when you got the alert on your monitor! 2:21 mark... I wish she would have also watched the replay of the video like I did instead of going up to the room! 😨

[@JenLuvsHorror]

Super creepy! Loved it

[@skanesfilms]

@@kellylott9296 I'm glad you made it through! I wasn't sure the dread and suspense would work but seeing it in a theater with audiences at festivals, I'm always grinning ear to ear waiting for the gasps lol.

[@skanesfilms]

@@JenLuvsHorror Thank you! 😄

[@jacliveshere]

Ok this was super good and VERY scary. My only feedback is (WARNING, SPOILER BELOW) ⬇️⬇️⬇️ When the mom saw clearly it was indeed something or someone real in the nursery, why did she put the baby back in the crib and close the door? She already second guessed herself the first time with the cat. Then the next time, the cat was not near the nursery. And then even her baby reacted to the thing touching her. So now there was no denying something was in there with the baby. I wish I knew what the writers were thinking. Was she still not fully coherent from being half asleep? At any rate I loved the movie!

[@icemantis13]

Nice work! Tight little spooky scenario! I dont think i am ever leaving my baby again now, thanks for that! ❤ 😊

[@skanesfilms]

Haha thank you!

[@Magnus_Grimsbane]

*Woman sees creep leaning over her baby's crib over the baby cam* "Oh I'll just run on up to the bedroom unarmed. Then I'll just stand here and comfort my baby instead of grabbing him and getting the FUCK OUTTA HERE!". 😂 I had to suspend my disbelief HARD with this, but I did enjoy it! Very creepy and well done! 👏👍👍

[@skanesfilms]

Haha right?! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@georginaking5968]

Absolutely agree with u on that 👏🏼

[@Magnus_Grimsbane]

@@skanesfilms I would love to see a follow up to this and see what became of the baby. So many directions that can go in!

[@skanesfilms]

Yeah, I’d love to make a feature and explore this further.

[@Iceis_Phoenix]

Emma is an excellent actress and very stunning. 🕊 Should have left immediately after seeing that Apparition on the cell phone

[@Soarin-Duran]

Emma is so beautiful, she is what i loved most from this short horror film 😍

[@christ9359]

Overall, quite creepy. The slow build up of tension was phenomenal. Perfectly paced, as they say. I always like to see some kind of explanation or backstory, but that's not really feasible in a short. In this case, I'd love to see a version with a fleshed out story. I think this concept could really shine in that format. Great work!

[@skanesfilms]

Thank you! This really was an exercise in tension and pacing for me. Happy it paid off! I’d love to explore this story more, in fact I do have a feature in mind to expand this concept further.

[@yurilouback6331]

5:55 Sees freakin Satan trying to get her baby A few seconds later: ''It was probably nothing''

[@skanesfilms]

Right?!

[@fafadana4794]

Es war großartig,ich freue mich auf deine nächste Arbeit😊

[@kattolsen2704]

This is an impressive short film! All the elements of a creepy horror film in 8 minutes!

[@skanesfilms]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@jamisonbraly]

This was INSANE! Love the blending of concepts. Especially love how your gaffer mastered those night shots

[@skanesfilms]

Thank you! It was a fun shoot!

[@jomontanee]

Awww the kitty and the baby in one short! ❤❤❤❤

[@skanesfilms]

The cat was such a diva lol.

[@cgsschaefer]

i jumped like a child now. never happend the last 20 years ! well done !

[@skanesfilms]

Thank you!

[@jakemyron3276]

YES!!! Been waiting forever for this!!!!!

[@skanesfilms]

I hope it didn’t disappoint 😄

[@foxlove-nj5ri]

I've always been a huge fan of horror movies of all kinds but I am rarely scared by them. But somehow horror shorts manage to do it much more often.

[@skanesfilms]

Glad to hear the scares worked!

[@ishitadey726]

That's perfect. The cinematography is great! The music, spooky environment, crafts of lights are all very detailed... But I think that the evil spirit should be presented as a deadly figured shadow without making it visible.... Overall, its 9.5/10 Great love for all including the cutest baby and the cat... 💝

[@skanesfilms]

Thank you! She is a cute baby! Appreciate the feedback! 😊🙏

[@christ9359]

I agree with this critique. It seems like creature design is the most difficult decision making part of it all. Often, less is more, it seems.

[@rendypramandha5098]

I Love this beautiful talent, so awesome & beautiful 🫠😍

[@marcuswall8852]

Really good! Nice looks and lighting. Great atmosphere, will check out more of your content… 👍

[@skanesfilms]

Thank you! Finishing up my next film right now. More coming soon!

[@marcuswall8852]

@@skanesfilms awesome! Looking forward to it 👏

[@josephsanchez7636]

Whoa! Creeeepy! Excellent film!

[@skanesfilms]

Appreciate it!!!

[@javondaholloway-kw8vg]

Wow that is a good one ❤❤

[@athomeinmyhead]

Another good pick for baby monitor thriller is "The Baby's Room".

[@skanesfilms]

I’ll have to check it out! Thanks!

[@Useless.Talents]

I like it!! Amazing shots.

[@skanesfilms]

Thank you!

[@sharoncooper3042]

Very good! Mamu is creepy!

[@skanesfilms]

Thank you!!!

[@shantavanee]

Just subscribed ❤

[@dethengine]

Well done.

[@skanesfilms]

Thank you!

[@georginaking5968]

I THOUGHT THE WOMEN WAS A BIT SLOW COS WEN SHE ACTUALLY SEE SOMEONE STANDING OVER HER BABY AND SHE WENT IN THE ROOM AND JUST ROCKED THE BABY AND PUT HER BK IN HER COT 😳 THAT PART WAS CRAZY RUN RUN RUN 🏃‍♀️ WITH THE LITTLE GIRL I KEPT SHOUTING 😂AND ANOTHER THING I FOUND THE WOMEN DIDNT TALK TO HER BABY AT ALL TO COMFORT THE LITTLE BABY GIRL ABSOLUTELY NOTHING NOT A WORD - THAT PART ASWELL I FOUND A BIT CRAZY - BUT SORRY TO GO ON ALL IN ALL IT WAS A GOOD SHORT IT WAS QUITE A SHOOK ON MY SYSTEM 😂😂😂😂 WELL DONE THO 👏🏼

[@skanesfilms]

I’m happy to hear you enjoyed it! That’s the nature of horror, sometimes just gotta suspend disbelief. Also, partly she wasn’t sure if what she saw was real or not.

[@katiemilady197]

Sometimes, the best aspect of short horror films is no talking at all. You get to experience more of what is going on in the character's (in this case, the mother's) mind.

[@charlypergod157]

Nice work ! terrifying

[@skanesfilms]

Thank you!

[@verwolf3D]

Emma is amazing pretty lady!!! 😍😍😍

[@neerajnigam1737]

I don't understand the concept of making the infants sleep alone and I never will.

[@ufosrus]

I agree. And to top of they close the doors to the baby room.

[@gamzegulbas1947]

Şahane 😍 İzlerken çok gerildim. Emeği geçen herkese teşekkürler 👏

[@russellmajor7701]

Awesome job!!!

[@skanesfilms]

Thanks man!!!

[@verwolf3D]

Nice work fine movie!

[@skanesfilms]

Thank you! 🙏

[@kareneastman9695]

AAAAWwww!!:-)🙂😀Cute. The mother closed the door after putting the baby back in the crib.???😲😲Poor baby.😞If I saw Him,I'd move the baby's crib into my bedroom.🙂Is the mother ok?

[@skanesfilms]

Right!? lol

[@bluerainwalker5463]

it was ok her not turning the lights on was not realistic .if your looking for something you turn on the lights .than seeing the dark haired woman on camara i would think she would grab her kid n run .it was well done

[@chaimaabn4182]

Hi, from my understanding the spirit represents her anxiety to leave her baby alone, even tho she's so tired she keeps waking up to make sure he's okay.

[@jasonadlay]

I really enjoyed it omg

[@skanesfilms]

Thank you!

[@RoseRose-ly4qw]

Sebuah film pendek seram yang bagus 👍 . Yang pasti ianya agak menakutkan 😰😬

[@LeorahAihi]

So scary and bed😢

[@MZayn023]

estoy de acuerdo que la sensación de ver que van a tomar al bebe es algo espeluznante, sin embargo fue un poco cliché, me hubiera gustado ver a la creatura llevarse al bebé y que la mujer al entrar al cuarto no encuentra a nadie, ni siquiera al bebé, entonces grita desesperada y despierta de dormir en el sillón, sube corriendo para ver a su hija pero el cuarto se ve abandonado y un poco viejo, la mujer se mira en el espejo y es una anciana, entonces empieza a llorar y después a reír, en una extraña mezcla de demencia... la mujer quedó loca desde que perdió a su hija hace muchos años.

[@skanesfilms]

That’s a interesting idea. Given the resources available, that wasn’t possible, however not a bad idea to include in a feature version (if that ever were to happen). Thank you for the feedback!

[@latifabakouri2241]

Good job 👏 🫣

[@yawarsorani2241]

😮😮😮😮

[@Gulab..Shaikh..Sayyed]

Good this concept not hard creepy but not bad is cool 👍

[@skanesfilms]

Appreciate it! Thank you!

[@pujarani4474]

Baby's crying made me sad😞

[@skanesfilms]

Don’t worry, we took many breaks and built our schedule around her naps. She did really well!

[@claudiadiaz4095]

I definitely won't install an alexa with camera in the short time... 😰😰😱😱

[@user-wd5dl8me7h]

يمهه 😮😅

[@wolf44875]

she went from big screen to low budget screen

[@skanesfilms]

Emma’s a family friend, so I was more lucky she was available and interested, but she got to act alongside her niece which helped 😊

[@edgarpoinsot5502]

In the end even the baby was terrorized.

[@skanesfilms]

She actually had a lot of fun. Only was fussy since we had to keep her up a little bit past nap time. But otherwise, she was surrounded with family and took many breaks.

[@edgarpoinsot5502]

@@skanesfilms I see that acting is demanding, even for babies.

[@SenBetul]

Bebeği niye hala orda bırakıyo kafayı yicem

[@zb3185]

Baby is so cute. But in general I can't watch anything that put a baby in distress, just hurt. (not to blame your work)

[@skanesfilms]

That’s fair and understandable. To be honest, the baby had great care during the shoot. We worked around her sleep and feeding schedule and she was surrounded with family the whole time. 😊

[@zb3185]

@@skanesfilms That is very nice of your guys for being caring. It is sweet and cute. 💗👍

[@KeemReviewz]

Honey why are you crying? Oh, just ignore that demon hovering around your crib. *Puts baby back inside of crib and attempts to walk out* LOLLLLLL

[@skanesfilms]

Right? It’s fine… maybe it’s not really there. lol

[@MulletHead87]

When noise complaints don't work, even after multiple attempts..... She was driving off in a Uhaul by lunchtime. Great suspense!

[@skanesfilms]

Thank you!

[@user-gt3tv5tr1m]

was it really difficult to take a child to sleep with you???? knowing that you see nothing in the dark ?????

[@ambergriffin91]

Coryxkenshin would enjoy this

[@Serg-K.]

Это был Майкл Джексон?😮

[@outlawryder2354]

You did good I really liked but u should have showed his face a little longer but I still hit the lake button

[@skanesfilms]

Thank you! It was a very low budget costume lol

[@MyleneMaelinhon]

Why didn't she turn the light on?

[@skanesfilms]

First time, she didn’t wanna wake the baby up. Second time, light stimulates baby’s too much and if she’s thinking it’s all in her head, then a tired mother’s only goal is to help the baby learn to sleep through the night. 😉 My wife and I know from experience with our little one. Sleep is a struggle lol.

[@D.G-2023]

Not the right horror, in such situations it is better to be afraid of mom

[@user-tz1oj9hd6m]

Lite BulBs don't Work ?

[@skanesfilms]

Well if you don’t wanna wake the baby because you aren’t sure if you’re seeing things or not, then you keep them off lol.

[@chanceburger3169]

Mom is smoking hot

[@somuoalamera]

هذي أم الصبيان👹

[@auroraaurora6524]

Crazy mother