MOONSTRUCK Short Horror Film

There's something wrong with the moon. Whatever you do, don't look at the moon.
Official Selection: Filmquest Festival, HorrorFest International, Boston Sci-Fi Festival, Nightmares Film Festival
Written and Directed by Alan Seawright
Starring: Shona Kay, Jonathan Decker, and Audrey Seawright
Produced by Daren Smith & Alan Seawright
Associate Producers: Madeleine Rasmusen, Megan Seawright
Cinematographer: Paul McKay Taylor
Editor: Trevor Horton
Composer: Caleb Blood
Assistant Director: Madeleine Rasmusen
Art Director: Megan Seawright
Set Decorator: Sophie Téllez
Hair/Makeup: Shanda Palmer
Sound Recordist: Andrew Ahlstrom
Sound Designer: Kevin Senzaki
Re-recording Mixer: Jessica Parks
Prop Master: Dan Haskell
1st Assistant Camera: Philip Houser
2nd Assistant Camera: Brooke Wahlin
Gaffer: Roger Stoddard
Key Grip: Al Stoddard
Electrician: Payden Button
VFX: Alan Seawright
PAs: Shaquille Cyril, Sophie Téllez, Alanna Rogers

[@theexpierow8951]

as someone who ALWAYS sleeps with the blinds closed, I see this as an absolute win

[@yamato6114]

Same here.

[@levi_octavian]

I have blackout curtains which is even better. I don’t know how people sleep with their doors, blinds or curtains open. Maybe it’s just my anxiety disorder but having them open makes it feel like something is watching you constantly. You feel very vulnerable.

[@alvianekka80]

​@@levi_octavianIt's a nightmare fuel to wake up in the middle of the night and there's a face staring at you at the window.

[@levi_octavian]

@@alvianekka80 Real, or when people suddenly walk in and you have your door open giving zero notice someone is entering. One night I went to bed with my door open growing up and my mother had to grab something from my bedroom. I thought some sort of shadow creature was at the end of my bed. Nearly gave myself a heart attack.

[@kylesimone6140]

@@levi_octavian my blinds are partially broken and i live a bit into the woods so im constantly paranoid lol

[@SPYK3O]

"Yo what if we combined Bird Box with Local 58?"

[@Godyeater]

“Great idea, Spy. You’re getting a promotion.”

[@FatYokel]

They even have "Sandra Bullock at home" lol

[@deanitanurkhalisa652]

Great combo

[@Onroomoreroo]

Gemini Home Video*

Kinda disappointed we never got to see the truck. The truck full of moons. The moonstruck.

[@TelekinesisStudios]

It's a truck that belongs to NFL great Warren Moon.

I thought it was about a pickup truck full of people mooning the Moon. I was mistaken. 0:40

[@vikenlugaid]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@thENDweDIE]

ISWYDT

[@immagical7036]

*pffff-*

[@SirAndacar]

Genuinely scary and suspenseful in a very HP Lovecraft way. No explanation needed. I can just imagine how he'd describe it: "And with an infernal screech that whispered obscenely of the tartarean obscene entities that lurch blindly amidst mad gulfs between the stars, Rod burst the door asunder and lurched into the chamber, his eyes burning with the eldritch, nascent energies that had drifted evilly from the gibbous lunar nightmare above... etc. etc."

[@watts111]

"Then, a horror was revealed... a figure so ghastly, so beyond our ken, that I won't bother to describe it because reasons."

[@kelliehorn1082]

Mom: Stay right there, don't move Child: moves So classic, so true to life

[@paullevine1813]

Hi Kellie , At least she didn't look at the moon as her mom said not to. so she did sort of listen to mom & hey it's what little ones do . In the end she faired much better than the adults LOL...

[@kelliehorn1082]

@@paullevine1813 Very true!

[@jerryleroy9187]

@@paullevine1813 She never actually told the girl not to look at the moon though. She just kept asking if she looked at it. It was bothering me because I thought she'd look at the moon out of curiosity.

[@gamarleton]

I think if she didn't run when her dad was coming at her mom she may have gotten hurt, and I think she knew that. She also probably guessed that looking at the moon is a bad thing at least based on her dads behaviour.

[@kelliehorn1082]

@@gamarleton Yeah, she turned out to be a smart little kid, thank goodness.

[@Patronsaintoftaints]

Gotta say, after pausing to read the EAS, “may god have mercy on us all” was CHILLING. The idea of have something as inevitable as the moon be the catalyst of such terror is horrifying. Also the mystery of WHY the moon suddenly does this adds another layer of hopeless fear. Alan Seawright you amaze me, wonderful work.

[@swifty1969]

It turns everyone into lunatics….😊

[@criol1]

As someone attending a course of script writing would tell you, "the mystery of why" happens what it happens is just that they needed something to put the story going. But good luck with your layers chase.

[@TrevorEditor]

Reading all the these comments of people enjoying our little short is genuinely heartwarming. So grateful to have been apart of this! Thank you Alan, backers and everyone involved!

[@sergeantspam51]

All the praise is well deserved!

[@TestUser-cf4wj]

You need to reshoot the scene of the warning on the woman's phone. It doesn't come through at all.

[@driewiel]

Oh wow. So you were one of the 5 million people in the end credits?

[@asur5179]

I want insta id of beautiful actress pls help me

[@artsaganza8742]

i just found out about this, good job on the film, i would love to see more of this, what state are you guys out of?, im in illinois myself. and working with others on some short films too.

[@theastrophotographerjudah9421]

As an Astrophotographer that takes clear shots of the Moon, I can say that I really enjoyed this film. I'm actually the one that always loves to look at the Moon

[@TelekinesisStudios]

Give us an honest critique: How was our moon shot at the end? I'm proud of it, but I'd love an expert's honest opinion! -alan

[@theastrophotographerjudah9421]

​@@TelekinesisStudios I'm assuming that shot was taken during a Lunar Eclipse. I like how it has a blueish hue that matches the same blue hue color that was shining in the windows. One thing that I would've changed for that shot at the end was maybe raise the exposure just a little bit, just to give it that bright shine that was beaming in the windows

[@roseerdlen7955]

I love the moon too

[@andreabrooks1581]

Me too

[@SUREETBHATTACHARYA]

Be careful. You never know enough about the aliens.

[@CinemaTherapyShow]

There's going to be a whole lot more to watch! Keep a eye out for more notifications!

[@mauramahon7685]

I plan on being here for the premiere since I don't have anything foreseeable going on, but, in case I can't, will this be available after the premiere?

[@TelekinesisStudios]

@@mauramahon7685 Forever!

[@mauramahon7685]

@@TelekinesisStudios, awesome! Thank you. Can't wait for the premiere.

[@orecreeper2128]

@@TelekinesisStudios pretty sure I saw a no sleep post about the same exact plot a few years ago

[@lesteryaytrippy7282]

Great job guys

[@sethender443]

Don’t worry, this kinda thing only happens once in a blue moon

[@robertowens2022]

Madaras genjutsu irl

[@dunkeykung1162]

Without a dream in your heart, without a love of your own

[@9WEAVER9]

Honestly, I hope this happens, let the moon teach us a lesson

[@misterbennnn]

When the moon hits your eye with a blue, creepy sky, that's a moonstruck

[@Rax--]

When you walk in a dream but you know you're not dreaming, signore👁‍🗨👁‍🗨

[@sem_skywalker]

*moon strike

[@umbrellacorp.]

6:19 "Just come look!".... 😳 The look on his face is just too funny. 😂👍

[@swifty1969]

Yeah! That funny looking expression kind of ruined the perfect atmosphere.

[@mitchjohnson4714]

Rodney Dangerfield.

[@Deletirium]

​@@swifty1969 I agree- it was incredibly atmospheric and unsettling from the opening frame, up until the silly glowing eyes. Solid black contact lenses and a little more subtlety would have been better. In non gore-based horror films, less is always more. The audience's imaginations are far more effective at filling the blanks with terror than if the movie just spells it out. Other than the bit of overthetopness, this was a really creative film, and I'd love to see the creator do more things.

[@Can_O_Crayola]

@@Deletirium Ehh, I feel like the solid black eyes is way too overdone though. Literally every demon movie and science fiction horror does that. The glowy eyes were a little goofy but at least they were unique. I'll take unique 1000 times over someone copy-pasting the same shlock.

[@Brandon-eq7hk]

The only issue I have is they went level 10 with the brightness. I think if the glow was like Dune levels and without the makeup it would have been scarier. Also, what's up with that guy's acting? If he was calm and collected like 'come over here for a second honey' that would have been nightmare fuel. Here he is like a bad pennywise and it comes off like a comedy.

[@annablack4589]

The scariest thing about this is that i think Jonathan will scare the hell out of me when in real life i think he is a really wholesome person. I'm so excited to see it, i'm sure you worked a lot to make this. gonna be here to support our internet dads and everyone who worked in this project ❤

[@JonathanDecker]

Oh no! I've ruined me for you!

[@chellesama8256]

@@JonathanDecker So I wasn't imagining things! I didn't know you were in this; it just popped up in my recommendations. Creepy!

[@mervisa89]

​@@JonathanDecker I love your therapy channel!!

[@NorthernMouse52]

The scariest comments are the comments that have the word 'wholesome' in them! I FFF-ING HATE THAT WORD, 🤮🤮🤮

[@mihaelabiolan819]

He's really amazing in real life - and such a great therapist!

[@yamato6114]

Ok I’ll be honest. Normally glowing eyes in horror don’t phase me anymore but the shot of Ron’s glowing blue eyes legitimately creeped me out. Like he just looks so manic and unworldly

[@briar7157]

Making the moon a malevolent character is sooooo good. There is something so unsettling and horrifying about making something that we tend to connect with calm suddenly turn on us. And then the idea of making people something you couldn't trust either. " don't you trust me?" Fantastically horrifying !!! I loved it

[@peterkim3370]

You should watch Channel 58

[@DJ_Cub]

They stole the idea from an analog horror channel. Hope they aren’t claiming that they came up with it

[@Hey_Jamie]

It’s literally a stolen idea from the channel Local 58. Local 58 is brilliant. It may not make sense on the surfaceX but the channel Nexpo has a fantastic breakdown of it. A few, actually

[@Hey_Jamie]

@@DJ_Cub THANK YOU!

[@huelu982]

Ohh I thought the sun should be the scary one… but yeah moon’s creatures are scarier 😂

[@TelekinesisStudios]

This was based on a Reddit writing prompt. This was actually written 6 years ago, right around the same time Local58 did their version. So... the writing prompt may have been based on Local58, which would make this indirectly based on it too. Regardless, we didn't know Local58 existed until after we'd already shot this. (Local58 is _GREAT_ btw!) Thanks for watching, and constructive criticism is *always* appreciated. If you didn't like it, give us specifics! If you did like it, give us specifics! If you can't be bothered, I don't blame you, this is just some movie on the internet!

[@swiftyman]

love u

[@cobbetlprogrammer1344]

Good Job Guys! Please do more! Cheers!

[@reddragon4482]

There was too much jump scares and screeching noises tbh lol, not being mean but it ruined it for me. First jumpscare was great and made me jump, so 10 out of 10 for that one. After that though serious diminishing returns, i think. it also started off really creepy because you don't know what's going on and then it started going a bit downhill (in my opinion). When loud noises and jump scares are over used I think they start becoming a bit obnoxious instead of scary. I really don't think you need that much at all in it once the dread has been built up, especially since it's a short film. I think if you would have skipped the glowing eyes and loud noises it would have been way more creepy and would be more effective horror by building dread. Jump scares are great though when built up, but not when it's the majority of the horror. I think it's better to make the audience guess what's going on than having it shoved in your face like that, it's very on the nose. I think you could have also dragged it out a bit more for suspense too. I understand it's a short film but I think an extra few minutes of the mother walking around the house trying to figure out what was going on would have made the revelations towards the end more frightening. It's probably a bit challenging to pull of in a short film but No way at all impossible to perfect. An idea how you could have made it less on the nose is having her walk around the living room closing the blinds (having the father out of shot) with the daughter at the top of the stairs. Both the mother and daughter not knowing the father was standing in the room until she turns round. It could have been a natural jump scare doing it like that. The child would have been scared at the mother jumping back and maybe might have tried to come downtstairs worried about her mother, so you could have had the mother have numerous things to panic about. She can't look at him directly because the blinds are open and is right in front of her so she has to talk to him while she is looking away. She could maybe be dazed from hitting her head or something and would have trouble speaking as clearly. His voice could be very slow slightly warped and uncanny sounding, kind of like how you did towards the end too. Would make the audience guess if it was because she hit her head or because he's changed or controlled by something. Just an idea how I think it could have been a bit more scary and fear inducing. There is a lot of things you guys did well. The acting was pretty good, I was expecting worse. I did love the way he moved when he was standing at the window though, it was very uncanny and weird. That gentle swaying is a bit unsettling, at least for me anyway lol. I can see everyone involved put a lot of effort into it. I hope I didn't seem overly critical of your work, I still enjoyed it. I really love horror, and maybe hope to make my own one day if I ever got the time.

[@itsthemangler]

It's clearly modeled after the L58 story, though. The first 80% is exactly like many other Local58-inspired shorts, right down to the scenes and shots. The difference? They acknowledge and celebrate it. That's the way to get respect. The route of denial that you're taking is the one that fails 100% of the time.

[@laughingbeez4239]

It is quite possible someone switched 🌝 with a 🌞

[@TheNinthDoctor]

This was terrifying, and really well-done! I have to say, as just one specific comment: Shona's acting as someone waking up was really good. I've seen a lot of movies and TV shows where the person isn't even kind of believable as having been asleep. So major kudos.

[@TelekinesisStudios]

Weirdly, this might be the highest praise we’ve ever gotten! I’ll make sure Shona sees this!

[@trackerjacker5467]

@@TelekinesisStudios I’m curious; was this story inspired by a creepypasta? I remember reading a creepypasta that I came across in 2017 that was basically the same idea as this; this eldritch extraterrestrial force that corrupts the moon causing people to stare at it until they died.

[@CookieJan]

Why u lying to urself bro

[@CookieJan]

I agree with cookie

[@voyance4elle]

I thought exactly the same thing!!!

[@immagical7036]

This film was really really well done but the reveal of Rod’s Moonstruck eyes made me laugh. I don’t know whether it’s his expression or the way his eyes glow like that but it was far funnier than it should have been

[@MountainHomeJerrel]

The expression was kind of Goofy.

[@eden8301]

that first scare literally made me jump, and it was just Rod walking past in the hall. kudos to everyone who worked on this, it came out fantastic! setting up Rod's attack with a news report about violence was great, the ongoing suspense of whether Miranda looked or not, and the weird, creepy eye glows were some highlights. the premise of a lunar anomaly that does... something to people when they look is so fascinating. I've seen a version of it with Local58, which was great as analog horror, but to see it played out with actual people was so chilling. again, kudos to the entire team!

[@t.me_s_petizioni_2220]

Prova ad ascoltare o a leggere i sottotitoli automatici tradotti del video "Apollo 30" del "Border Nights".

[@t.me_s_petizioni_2220]

È una conferenza, col pregio che si presenta come veritiera.

[@MisanthropicOcellus]

Well yeah, it's a basic jumpscare.

[@jamiedecker7853]

I wish this was a full length movie! It's unique in that you don't see many movies about the moon causing problems

[@kibble24]

Well that was absolutely spine chilling. The "Why don't you trust me?", The build up to the moment the kid opens her eyes and is okay, and the people on the lawn looking up, all really got me.

[@Hey_Jamie]

Well they stole the entire premise from the channel Local 58

[@moralityisnotsubjective5]

@@Hey_Jamie Stop.

[@alejandrinos]

I find it goofy that when he asked about her trusting, she didn't immediately respond: "BECAUSE YOUR FUCKING EYES ARE GLOWING!"

[@moralityisnotsubjective5]

@@alejandrinos Not to mention attacking her twice while screaming about the moon.

[@umcThunder72]

​@@moralityisnotsubjective5I mean he is right this is straight up ripped from the classic that is local 58 but that doesn't mean it's not executed extremely well.

[@sherman614]

I had a nightmare when I was really young that I was in my room in the dark, and my blinds were open and I could see the full moon, and the moon was moving closer and closer to the window and a really weird way until it crashed through my window. It scared me, and since then, I've still felt odd when I'm in a dark room, and I can see the light from the full moon coming through the window. This taps into not only a primal fear, but my own personal discomfort from a silly childhood dream. Well done! Very cool idea, very simple, yet effective. Well acted and filmed! I watch a lot of these short films and this was honestly one of my favorites!

[@TheFireline]

even though it was a stressful situation i found the way the mother talked to her daughter heroic. a mother who protects her child with all her might!

[@CordeliaWagner1999]

Not every mother. Only good mothers do that

[@TypeZeta2]

I liked this. There’s something uniquely fear inducing about the moon something that can’t truly be avoided being the main antagonist. It’s also got me thinking about SCP When Day Breaks. It’s like how do you avoid something visible to us in our sky

[@cherrypanda2800]

The thing I love about this film most, is how it’s sets up this terrible situation, and something that couldn’t happen in real life, but made it clear to understand, while not trying to hard to make it feel scary, you did the perfect amount of spook. You also did it in a way that allows the viewer time to naturally immerse themselves which makes it so much more scary. It came out awesome, Alan, I can’t wait to see your projects in the future! And thank you to all the crew and actors for their hard work too!

[@MisterFanwank]

What makes you think it couldn't happen in real life?

[@eiheioh2050]

cicada3301

[@umcThunder72]

​@@MisterFanwankI can't think of anything that could cause the moon to suddenly be hazardous or to somehow drive people mad. If it's the light then it would have to be the sun or something somehow new changing the light as it reflects off of the moon. If it's the moon itself then by what mechanism could it possibly affect the mental health of those who look at it while not having done so in the past?

[@dizzybee7386]

It could happen in real life. That's what scares me.

[@misterchef2107]

@@dizzybee7386how??

[@MarianPerera-ye8be]

I would love to see this turned into a full-length horror novel. It's a wonderful premise, and makes me so curious about the moon-zombies, or whatever they are - do they kill other people, do they force them to look at the moon, what happens to them after dawn? Very intriguing!

[@Unidentified952]

Exactly!!

[@vivianejenoc]

Damn. That sound cut at 6:17 is EVERYTHING. Kudos to whoever made that particular editing choice. Pure dread !

[@sonnet890]

It makes the scene even more terrifying

[@victims5820]

I loved the concept. Something as simple as looking at the moon turned into a world ending event and we don't get to know what's going on. Much better than the "broken family goes to live in haunted house and research how to beat demon on wikipedia" movies we're getting these recent years😄

[@abbeyleehallett7845]

The way that this movie drops you right into the situation is fantastic; wastes no time explaining, just gets right to the horror! Fantastic job to everyone!

[@XxYaRiNxX]

Kris Straub of Local58tv came up with this idea 5 years ago, and while I like it that someone was inspired enough to make a 10 minutes horror short with live action actors, I think his analog horror video did this premise way better. the eye glow made this look goofy to me and did not do the sheer dread of the moon justice. less is more sometimes. to those interested, the video mentioned is titled "Weather service" by Local58tv

[@camiiangel5235]

this is the first time i've had a film scare me with a classic jump scare as a big fan of horror. This is amazing

[@Christopher-q3k]

This was quite an interesting short film to watch. The writers and actors wove many threads and motifs together, as well as a few dark humor moments, into a really strong piece. There is also an apocalyptic element to it without revealing a who or what and, unlike most "end of civilization" movies, the only reason humankind may be undone is because they had a natural reaction. Very well written and gives the audience a lot to think about after just a few minutes of view time. Would love to see more from these screenwriters!

[@elisafloriana]

I remember waking up last night to the moonlight. It's a very beautiful moon and I give my appreciation to the film director and also the actors in this movie. Making a beautiful moon becomes a tragedy! What an interesting movie!

[@vladdracul5072]

Now we need a movie about the real baddie in the sky, the sun.

[@kevinkevinholt]

Me when new music comes out and my friends just want to keep listening to the same stuff we liked in college: IT'S BEAUTIFUL, IF YOU DON'T TRY IT YOU'LL REGRET IT FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE

[@vans_corner]

Fun story, I actually went on a walk tonight, and the moon was shining weirdly bright. Let’s just say I was absolutely terrified and immediately started speed-walking home. Also, this was genuinely so well-made! You can tell there was a lot of care and compassion that went making it. The general blue lighting and seemingly constant light wind set the mood perfectly, and really made you feel scared for the characters. On that topic, THE CHARACTERS. As soon as you start out, seeing Liz immediately going to her daughter’s room to check on her, you can tell she really worries and cares about her. The chemistry between actors was incredible, and Audrey did an amazing job. Also our wholesome cinnamon roll Jono is now absolutely terrifying so that’s something. Pretty sure I’ll have nightmares for weeks, you guys all did amazing. Thanks for making this to share with us, Alan, you truly did an incredible job.

[@TelekinesisStudios]

I'm so glad that it _actually_ creeped you out! Thank you so much!

[@mehchocolate1257]

@@TelekinesisStudios someone did a eas video about the moon

[@lilyofluck371]

was it pretty?

[@vans_corner]

@@lilyofluck371 :Oc

[@rdarian9314091]

Starts out great...then blows it BIG TIME by going full-on monster movie.

[@KitCat898]

Cinema Therapy just released the behind the scenes, and Alan chastised me for not watching this first 😂 so here I am and OH MY GOSH. I got scared more than once!!! So amazing!!!

[@rebeccaryancross]

Same. I came here immediately because I’m binge watching their channel

[@nunyabizniz1983]

I want a full 90 minute version ♥️ loved this!

[@dnationapocalypse]

...Just watch "Bird box" then 😒

[@nunyabizniz1983]

@@dnationapocalypse seen it about 5 times…

[@dnationapocalypse]

@@nunyabizniz1983Watch part two

[@kory_misun]

I've never been so scared of a therapist in my life! That's a compliment, of course. Great work, everyone!

[@krishanubanerjee6955]

Imagine a therapist with glowing eyes chasing you around their office while screaming - "Why won't you let me help you?"

[@mihaelabiolan819]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@mihaelabiolan819]

I have to send this to my therapist! 😅😅😅

[@stephenparker1704]

I hope you are still working toward an expansion of this piece. It is brilliant (due in no small part to the moonlight, no doubt)…..and remember, DON’T LOOK AT THE MOON! Just please simply create a feature film version so WE can look at the moon❤

[@Uncle_Smidge]

This is going to be weird but wholesome, but I want to see this because of the vibes BEHIND the camera. My besties and I worked for over a year making a fan-film of an older anime called Vampire Hunter D that wound up making it to Dark Horse Comics' corporate and Hideyuki Kikuchi, the creator of the series, screened our little film with his industry buddies in a conference in Shinjuku, because he liked it so much. We're nobodies from Idaho. We busted our asses in knee-deep wet snow for a ten-hour shoot for one minute-long scene, and the lightning-in-a-bottle comradery that comes from filming a passion project with the perfect crew on a shoestring budget is unparalleled. I got a gut-punch of that nostalgia from this and, while I already wanted to see it as a CT/ML fan, the behind-the-scenes vibes took it from a Want to a NEED. GO FILM COOL STUFF WITH YOUR BUDDIES. YOU'RE COOLER THAN YOU REALIZE. GO MAKE RAD THINGS. YOU GOT THIS 💜

[@TelekinesisStudios]

There's more than an hour of BTS content coming! Stay tuned!

[@bigcatshazoo2455]

Is your Vampire Hunter D movie on KZbin?

[@Mahlercougar]

Thats really awesome! Im a big fan of VHD. As a professional film composer, I would love to be a part of a project like that.

[@mehchocolate1257]

@@TelekinesisStudios why were the person's eyes glowing anyway

[@0_dearghealach_083]

Where can we see this fan film?

[@BoatyPirate69]

I’d love to see more episodes of this. Perspectives of people from all over (government, first responders, survivors in the aftermath, etc.)

[@heartofnyx_9983]

This gives me serious "local 58" vibes. So awesome!! Good job everyone!! That eye glow is so freakin creepy btw

[@petrify4814]

I was thinking it almost had to be inspired by the first local 58 video.

[@dominickscalpi5686]

Ok thats what I thought this was based off of.... It's not? LoL

[@heartofnyx_9983]

@@dominickscalpi5686 Nope, in another comment Alan says how he wrote this awhile ago. Not even sure he'd seen local 58 by the time this went into production. Not even sure he's watched at all 😅

[@silverscreemer]

Crazy I had to go past so many comments to see this.

[@MSinistrari]

I thought of Local 58 soon as I saw the thumbnail. It does feel like a companion piece to Weather Service with this being what's going on away from the alert notice.

[@SwissCoffeeJay]

Watched this without even realizing it was Alan and Jonathan. I was genuinely shook when I saw my favorite youtube therapist playing a crazed lunatic.

[@isaiahwilson4943]

If this gives me a real life hesitancy of the moon the same way Nope made me fear clouds, you'll have down a good job. Now let's wait and see, Internet Dads.

[@TelekinesisStudios]

🤞🏻

[@chellesama8256]

I'd be the first mouth-breather out there looking at it after the alert. I'm not proud.

[@Dottywalkers9]

Alan were already so proud of you!! I know this was a labor of love. We’re excited to see that all the learning you went through as a young director is now being shared with us with this master piece! You’ve come a long way! Virtual hugs to you man!

[@Hey_Jamie]

Whose masterpiece is it? Because I see no credit given to Local 58

[@cloudninjamusic]

​@@Hey_Jamielocal 58 didn't come up with the idea tbf

[@shwetaaaaaaaaaaaa]

This is the kind of Cosmological/psychological horror one genuinely needs. I mean we've always associated moon with love and femininity and then this twist is just *Chef's kiss*💋

[@jimjustice581]

For a short film, this could stand alone on its own merits. It gives you a thumbnail that speaks volumes about the plot and characters. Well done!

[@arlomorganfilms]

that was fantastic! when Rod walked through the corridor behind Liz, i nearly jumped out of my skin :0

[@nightmare_eyes430]

My Cinema Therapy loving side: Oh my god, this is so well shot, and the performances and the sound design it's incredible! My horror fearing side: thanks i hate it

[@rebelrxse]

that jono walking across the room jump scare got me the most 😭

[@lilysushiii8041]

I love it!! Usually in horror movies, they use an evil ghost or a serial killer/slasher but this movie is creative because you used the moon as an "evil anomaly". So it's different from other horror movies and less cliché. Also, the fact that there's no explanation or reason given for the moon to be evil and for infecting any people who look at it, is a good thing because it's scarier if we don't know everything. It is mysterious then, and has eerie vibes. Also the music and the lighting are very beautiful. Great cinematic! One of the best short horror movies I seen on KZbin!! Congratulations from France.

[@TelekinesisStudios]

Many thanks!

[@Anna-sz2ms]

Love the score, the lighting, and set design. For only being 12 minutes, they created a really solid mood.

[@hpwho17]

I loved it! All of these messages in the beginning makes you wonder what's going on and scares you. The idea that something so natural, usual as the moon can be dangerous is terrifying. The music and the acting are GREAT

[@Rend_Association]

I actually jumped at some parts in this, and the idea to not look at something that is a really common thing to look at like the moon was an amazing idea!!!

[@LHA_1978]

Not sure why this popped up on my feed, but as a horror fan, I watched it anyways. It could be an interesting concept, but I didn't feel scared or creeped out by it. I was hoping there would be something more to the aliens or entities or what the moon looked like or whatever, but it mostly comes off as a low-level "Bird Box". It feels very much like someone's final project in film school or something. It isn't the length; I've been creeped out by shorts before, and some have told excellent tales. But as soon as I saw the effect on the dude's eyes, I had a hard time not giggling. I think some kind of practical effect would have been better: Tentacles coming out of his eyes or something. But the glowing effect, at least at first, kind of stole the tension from the moment. Anyroad, I'm probably being too critical of a short that's over a year old, but then again, I see it won some awards, which I find....odd? I dunno. Just didn't do it for me.

[@juliaalinasarah4494]

This was so fun to watch! The sound-design and editing was incredible, congratulations on making such a great short film!!

[@rottingpages]

Dude! I never knew this was based on a reddit prompt. I was at a small film festival in Manchester maybe four years ago and saw a short called Don't Look at the Moon. Same concept, but it was a little more subtle and creepy without a creature reveal, playing more on the idea of victims acting normal but then trying to convince the main character to look at the moon. Can't tell you who on earth made it though.

[@bywayofkpc]

That first jump scare got me!! 😂 So cool!! Great work to everyone involved. Looking forward to more cinematic masterpieces!

[@starclone4]

Oh that one gives you chills up the spine.... Great work !!!!

[@felisazure1820]

Okay, but this was absolutely fantastic. Everyone did such a great job! Man it was weird seeing such a nice dude as a villain, but man did he act it so well! The way you wrote this idea was both wonderfully creative and so interesting. Great job everyone, this was genuinely a chilling experience.

[@Hey_Jamie]

It’s not creative. The idea is stolen from the analog horror channel Local 58

[@wednesdaysartcastle9018]

@@Hey_Jamie They already commented on this. It was written long before theirs was released

[@umcThunder72]

​@@wednesdaysartcastle9018local 58 is years old I sincerely doubt they weren't at least inspired somewhat. Now that's not a bad thing.

[@TayWoode]

Why did you start with “okay but” as if no one liked it except you? That’s a worse opening phrase than “why is no one talking about...” when everyone is

[@Godzillafan78]

@@Hey_Jamiebuddy we get it you don’t do your research

[@neillangnickel4666]

I need more thumbs. And this needs to be a full-length movie. Well acted, no spoilers, VERY suspenseful. I don't scare, but this came very close and was unexpected. I hope the animals don't change as well, if they do we're DOOMED!!

[@neillangnickel4666]

And let me add, I went back to watch again. I NEVER do that, and I forgot to mention the delicious irony of the moon tapestry over the bed at film's beggining.

[@TelekinesisStudios]

Heeeeey. Thanks! Really appreciate it!

[@lovemusicreplay]

I usually don't do horror (freaks me out too much), however this made me laugh. I don't think that's a bad thing, I would defo watch this again and I reckon if I was watching it in the nighttime I would be spooked. Rod sounding so innocent, as per Jono's persona IRL, was the but that made me laugh but was a good casting/writing. Jono is a character we wouldn't suspect.

[@Deviant_Entity]

This reminds me of When Day Breaks from the SCP universe, where the sun turns on humanity and transforms people into something else! Except, of course, this is instead the moon, people stay humanoid, and the darkness of night makes it all the more spooky! I love it.

[@angel_vii]

"Stay away from the light Jackie" -The Darkness This was awesome Alan! And everyone who worked on it!

[@UnguessedGlory]

That first jump scare got me!

[@jamesdavison1942]

This was mega kudos to everyone involved 👏 it gave me a mix of Us, The Invitation, Birdbox, and David F Samberg vibes - would definitely pay to see a full feature 🤙

[@TelekinesisStudios]

David Sandberg is one of my personal heroes. -Alan

[@improbablydancing]

This is so interesting. I wrote a short story based on a writing prompt that said "do not look at the moon." I wrote almost the same thing as this short film- the flooding texts, the convincing father, the glowing eyes, almost all of it.

[@jacobopstad5483]

It's so great to finally see some of Alan's work as a director. I can't wait to see more!

[@azerdraco3146]

Absolutely AWESOME! THIS is what Netflix and these others that want to make their own series should be funding. This would be an epic SCP series.

[@viktoriadandelion]

I love the idea! For some reason, looking at the Moon for a long time can be both beautiful and haunting, depending on your mood at the time. I think that I’ve heard theories about looking at the Moon for too long when I was young. Spooked me quite a bit. The blue tint was a great choice, and the slow camera movement in the beginning really adds to the sensation of a scary presence. Also, an applause for the youngest actress for acting scared! She had me worried.

[@Hey_Jamie]

Local 58 did it first

[@moralityisnotsubjective5]

@@Hey_Jamie Coming from someone whose channel has nothing original about it.

[@troin3925]

@@moralityisnotsubjective5 Why are you white knighting these guys? Also, are you saying that the Local 58 channel has nothing original about it? Is it because it's analog horror even though it's literally what started the subgenre?

[@moralityisnotsubjective5]

@@troin3925 First of all the idea of the moon causing madness is ancient and dates back to the 1540s. Hence the term lunacy. Why is anyone surprised that a few different people might make a video about it at the same time? If anything it's more surprising that it took someone so long to do it. Second of all, the moon is beautiful regardless of whether or not it is causing insanity. No one disputes this. Humans have had a fascination with it for as long as we have stared at the night sky. We have made numerous stories and theories about it and anthropomorphized it as a god or goddess throughout many cultures. Third, the term for coming up with a similar idea as someone else at the same time has a number of terms including zeitgeist, multiple discovery and simultaneous invention. It has happened many times throughout history. It will happen again in future. Fourth, white knighting is a lame term used by people with no argument to try and discredit those who disagree with them. It's really no different than calling anyone who says something you don't like sexist or racist to try to shut them down. Once you resort to calling people names it is a sure sign of having lost the argument. Be better than that. And make better arguments as well.

[@willemvandeursen3105]

Excellent short, great suspense. An explanation of what happened isn't necessary, I would just have liked more of this!

[@andrewhavrylei6333]

As someone from Ukraine who has received emergency notifications on their phone before I should add that she would've had a heart attack from the the notification sound and vibration. Trust me, it's REALLY LOUD, especially in the middle of the night when you're used to silence

[@MossyMozart]

@Andrew Havrylei - Please, you and everyone you know, stay unharmed. If I had a fighter tank, I would send it to you.

[@millerp.3911]

The way the music cuts off is terrifying, gave me a huge goosebump ngl.

[@brooklebait1512]

I love all the effects and sounds when the moon people screech it looks so cool

[@TimeStreamerMoebius]

His Throne. REJOICE.

[@chloesmith7871]

Damn, well done everyone. The vibe was so well-made: The score, the lighting, what angles the scened where shot from, they just played together beautifully. The actors did a great job, especially the actress who played the leading role really made me feel with the character. And now it's time to watch the therapist reacts to video for this xD Edit: Also I would definitely be one of the first to look at the moon and go crazy

[@kasias5069]

After watching this short film I needed to check the meaning of ,,struck", because my first thought was that titular ,,moonstruck" is like the opposite version of sunstroke. In my country's folklore (Slavic) is the myth that my ancestors used to connect sunstroke with ghost of girl, that appeared mostly at high noon ("południe" in polish, so she was called "południca" - let's call her ,,High noon lady"). Farmers who worked at this time of day felt sunstroke, but they don't know it yet, so they associated it with supernatural spirit, Południca. I think that in case of this short, victims were possessed by similar entity (if someone plays Witcher, there is a character ,,Północnica" - Midnight Lady - it could be likely her). Beside of that, I really enjoyed watching this, it kept me on the edge of my seat😯🤯

[@oneslikeme]

I wonder if Alan is a fan of Local58. The beginning reminds me of the Weather Service video and other ones about the moon. Well done, Alan! Excellent film!

[@TelekinesisStudios]

I _AM_! I actually wrote this way back before Local 58 had made anything, only learned about it around 9 months ago, but it's great!

[@oneslikeme]

@@TelekinesisStudios That's awesome!! I can't wait for your full length film!

[@pritunjya3454]

I WONDER WHY THIS INTERESTING CONCEPT IS LIMITED TO SHORT MOVIE...

[@feliciaroseantonia]

I said this in the livestream posted right after this, but!! This sort of almost reminds me of the pandemic, like the whole "look at the moon!" thing being like in early-mid 2020 with the whole "take off your masks!" thing... Crazy, because this Reddit prompt (The one that inspired this, as well as the Analog horror series Local 58, as acknowledged by Alan in the livestream) was posted in 2017, so over 2 years beforehand!! 😲

[@olfactoryninja]

I've been watching Cinema Therapy for years, and seeing Jono suddenly turn into a psychopath was the most unsettling part of this. Beautiful work!

[@foolishideas]

Hell yeah! This was absolutely phenomenal. Watching this come together over the past year has been so much fun and you should all be so proud of what you did here. I can't wait to see what you guys do next.

[@tanadarko6991]

Boy she REALLY trusted that piddly lock. Girl put a chair under the handle at least! This was fun! The lighting and the score especially stuck out at me, and your main actress, while beautiful, not wearing a full face of perfect makeup really helped make it feel real.

[@celineyces]

It reminds me The Owls of Ga'Hoole with all my good memories I can't wait to watch , Congratulations! our dearest Internet Dads

[@matthacker3481]

I found this to be way scarier than Bird Box, kudos to the team who made this!

[@Zekrel]

The scariest/most surprising thing to me was seeing Jonathan playing the husband. I was so shocked! Jonathan can actually be scary 😧

[@cpu6850]

It's Local 58 "weather service" but what actually happens to people, nicely done.

[@scaliedog2777]

This was so fun to watch! I loved it ^-^ Especially your kiddo, she did so great! And the newscasting in the background was on point. You guys did well with the notifs on her phone too. OH! And I absolutely need those curtains!! This whole thing gives major 'Day of the Triffids' vibes :D ETA: Oh! And I really liked the heel-digging shot- it's so hard to get that feel with carpet, but you guys made it work. That was spot on.

[@jeanabdieldorcinvil2871]

I really can't the only one who want a series out of this, am I?😫😫😫

[@GenX_Nerd]

This is like a really cool alternate version of Bird Box. Great work, and I want more!! 😊

[@TJ-fg3vs]

Bloody hell! What a rush, I jumped out of my skin!

[@sarahelo009]

Now I have a strange impulse to get out of bed to look at the moon but I’m scared at the same time 🤣 this was just so good, the acting and plot and I really love the perspectives used. Like the shadowy face? Cmon, so awesome

[@andredp3375]

This left me wanting more. I wonder how threatening the moon gazers are without the moon. They seem to move fast but thankfully a little clumsy.

[@DanielQuasar]

I love a Horror film that remembers not to take itself too seriously. A great balance of creepy and camp here and I enjoyed it a lot. I left wanting to know more beyond this one moment in a family home. It deserves a full feature treatment to flesh out this interesting idea. Kudos, friends! 🌚

[@enigmatiqmuziq]

This was all sorts of creepy in the most cinematic way possible! Kudos to the creators for a fine story!

[@artbycats8636]

Chills. Literal chills. I am such a huge fan of short horror films!! This was fantastic. Looking forward to what comes next!!

[@minguyen8300]

It's awesome to see all the fans from kickstarter in the credit

[@madamBfG]

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SPOOKY!! 🌝😱 And I LOVE it! Bravo to Alan and he entire crew for making this wonderful bit of cinema! Truly inspiriing! 🤩