The Forest Has Us - Short Horror Film

A young runner ventures deep into a forest one sunny day. After a series of increasingly strange occurrences, he realises the forest has its own plans for him.
This is my passion project of 2020, as you can imagine it was trickier than most years to make a film due to the pandemic. I used the initial lockdown to plan it - with the goal of making something that wouldn’t require loads of people or resources. Then when restrictions eased, we went out and filmed it across 3 days, with an extra fourth day to get the drone shots. Pandemic aside, the most unprecedented thing was getting 4 days of sun in the UK!
I wanted to utilise this stunning woodland area I discovered and make the film as visual as possible. My brother - who stars in the film, is a keen runner in real life so I chose to make this the basis of the plot. Not only would this enable us to employ different parts of the woodland, but going for a run alone in the woods has so much potential for creepy stuff to happen.
Check-out the Behind The Scenes here:
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Feedback is always appreciated!

[@diontaedaughtry974]

This is a good reason for me to exercise only in my backyard.

[@brucemonkhouse6698]

Jogging in the Forrest, kind of unique..good choice for scary

[@goprocommando5016]

As always Joe, a well thought out plot, transformed and executed into a slick final production. Wishing you the best of luck with it.

[@joeeastley]

Thanks means a lot - takes some work but always worth it in the end!

[@Crescendotron]

the story is even and is best as this boy after exploring from all angles and aspects of word, life and body in all this time. In this jungle, he didn't panic and when his team was completed, same jungle accepted him for the next life cycle ..

[@jerryleroy9187]

Excellent music Joe! Finally a short film that doesn't feature hip hop as the go to music.

[@Gary0729]

My goodness Joe/Dan what a great video and brilliantly put together. Very clever.

[@joeeastley]

Thanks Gary - means a lot!

[@kurtweiand7086]

What impressed me most was the AWSOME jam at the beginning.

[@luiscavalcanti3431]

Damn it what kind of channel is this ? I like how u turned a generic concept into something greater with the execution. The final scene is impeccable

[@joeeastley]

Short films of various shapes & sizes... Thanks for that Luis - I think the final scene is probs my fav!

[@sddc5740]

WOW- what an awesome short film! I find this very unique because it's so bizarre & strange while remaining scary and intense at the same time! The production overall looks top notch with a great actor and film team with everything done to seem like a large budget Hollywood blockbuster. Awesome work!

[@neosandy]

That was messed up. It'll be a while before I go hiking again. This would be an awesome full length film

[@deep_squid_rising4715]

Well.. you’ve convinced me to quit all outdoor running 😅😅 I’ll just rearrange my living room and run in circles cause *uh uh* I ain’t nvr been scared of no trees but yea *got me f-ed up round here*

[@jrgeorgesk8]

Stellar effort mate, getting vibes of Timecrimes (2007) and Triangle (2009) with the time loop and Annihilation (2018) with the nature taking over people themes.

[@joeeastley]

Cheers Jordan! Annihilation definitely had an influence, especially on the end scene - loved that film.

[@blueroseofpurity9691]

Well I am not going for a walk in the forest anytime soon.

[@giuseppersa2391]

What a little gem this is! Loved it 😎

[@jaimiemond3986]

Very impressed!Your both Up coming stars in the making,well done plus ur brother is pretty cute.

[@sarahmargaretec]

This is awesome!! I've been obsessed with the "missing 411" stories for a couple days now so this was perfect timing. I totally have the creeps right now.

[@joeeastley]

Thank-you Sarah! Except the "missing 411" are true stories which make them extra creepy...

[@luiscavalcanti3431]

What missing 411 does mean?

[@brettsmith5903]

The missing 411 are people who have vanished in national parks. Under wierd circumstances.

[@tanis3362]

Guys, this is so great!

[@joeeastley]

Cheers Tanis!

[@MWTH37]

Great short film brings out the fear of being in the woods all alone

[@josiahwardrosebuddies]

Great stuff this! Loved the editing, the production and genuinely good horror 👍

[@joeeastley]

Thanks a lot Josiah! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@FilipStick]

That was so disturbing and entertaining..., Totally loved it!!!

[@katita846]

He's seeing himself, but in the scary version 😳

[@BarryLeJeune-lw7bg]

Wow! Never would of thought of a short like this...very creative! It's about time, worth the data to view.

[@nancyedwards9943]

Two thumbs up!! So weird and really freaky. Thanks for the upload.

[@pattym9182]

Interesting the number of people who claim they don't understand this. It seemed to me that as soon as he sat down on the bench, he entered a time loop, while the other versions of himself that he sees are either the forest simply tricking him, or the possessed souls of all the previous copies of him that were created through the time loop doing exactly what is necessary to get him exactly where the forest wants him - be that either to merge in with a tree, or become a new tree...either of which may explain the hand with his sweatband sticking out of the ground, or the face on the one tree that freaked him out near the end. But I'm pretty sure the general public is WAY too stupid to actually be capable of abstract thinking or figuring shit out for themselves. If it's not a simple formula of "guy enters forest, ghost or entity in woods stalks him, guy now can't leave forest," they immediately are like "bruh I didn't understand any of this." Although I hate general endings that are abstract and completely open to interpretation, plots that themselves are open to interpretation are more like a puzzle that usually make sense once the puzzle is figured out, instead of "it's whatever you think it is," if that makes sense?

[@The_Apollo_Show]

Rude

[@HACFilms2019]

Well done. I am in love with the concept.

[@__seeker__]

9:01 Your choice to amplify the insect which just happened to fly by during filming is appreciated.

[@richardvanlooij567]

Amazing project Joe, really like to learn from you :)

[@sally-annestrawberry4588]

Really Good Idea and done Really Well.. 8/10.. ThankYou.. 🎬👍

[@dawnrosecrants8919]

WOW! Powerful. Loved it. Never expected it to himself chasing himself. 👋💐 Bravo😮.

[@644amos]

Excellent very well directed and acted

[@joeeastley]

Thanks Timothy, much appreciated.

[@Inatwiztvisuals]

TOO DOPE WOW GREAT JOB HOPE THE BEST YOU GOT IT THO.

[@antrivedinekkanti4103]

Nobody goes to forest for jogging. In spite of this fundamental flaw, the flick was well made with superb camera angles, picurization, acting by the boy. The forest has its own laws and the message was well sent.

[@BarryLeJeune-lw7bg]

Fundamental flaw...I see no flaws.

[@sallagronlund643]

In my country people go jogging mostly to forest trails...

[@valiantwarrior4517]

When you abuse the duplication glitch a bit too much. Thanks for sharing your film. 🙂

[@Single.White.Female]

This is an amazing short film. I love it and that ending 👀 WOW! It had everything horror requires to be great...and was CREEPY 😱 AF! You're an awesome filmmaker 👍

[@joeeastley]

Thanks, that's very kind of you!

[@vnblogs1085]

Well executed ending plot

[@shanadelahaye1213]

Wait,.... he's chasing himself while being chased by himself?! That's just terrible!

[@jupiterr9892]

Bravo 👏 that was quite good 👍

[@Jim-gk4so]

Wow, really good as always.

[@sripadkulkarni]

Very good 👍🏼 not easy to scare in broad daylight…

[@barbarapineda5730]

That's the sames..dudes, trapped..there's..those creepy moments..

[@roccgg]

Well done 👏

[@brey1720]

Whoa 😳

[@jermainemorton3752]

I can see this as an actual movie good job

[@mentalhealthpoet]

I subscribed. Love this my friend

[@Captain-Cosmo]

Pretty good. Has a horror-scifi vibe evocative of classic Outer Limits stories. Good to see creative storytelling in homemade films that go beyond silent stalking figures and jumpscare endings. Since you mentioned the rarity of sunny days in the UK, I would put it to you that overcast days not only are great photographically, but might even lend greater mood to this genre, especially in a forest where every tiny branch casts in own shadow, making for incredibly detailed settings that can be distracting. I live in Colorado, which is one of the sunniest states in the country. (We have more sunny days on average than Florida, and even the flag features the sun.) It's rare for us to get an overcast day which I would want for filming outdoors. And now (if you check posts), a question: Did you intentionally put your character in all black? As a photographer, when I'm in a forest setting, I generally like to see my subjects in solid colors that don't blend in with the brown and green forest, such as blues and purples. But for something like this, I would have to reconsider conventional thought. So I'm more curious than critical. Again, good work.

[@mayhemacres725]

Very well done.

[@oyecinestudio]

Amazing movie 🎥 nic acting good location best horror story

[@LunarlightCinema]

Wow, that was really well done! Great work!

[@joeeastley]

Thanks a lot, dude!

[@barbarapineda5730]

Hes, so..😨 😨 😨..terrified, and is..keeping..n.sides..with..others.no ways..out

[@bfunnerson]

So true barbara

[@tinkubiswas9401]

Such a good exemplification of time loop 😮

[@Mihaly_]

I am so confused like are all the trees people?

[@walteralbertoruiznieto7281]

Excelente. Interesting. Creative. Felicitaciones from BOGOTÁ Colombia 🎉🎉

[@raybruce4164]

I am only six minutes in and I am impressed.

[@stevekrumbah6333]

Yo the Home Depot sound track 😂

[@babak6647]

Yeah. That's true.

[@akashchaudhary3166]

Mind blowing 🤯

[@naaz123-l6w]

Never go into the forest alone or any other such places where no one is around you

[@StoopidMonkeysMomma]

Moral of the story: Don't go down trails marked Private lol

[@Rob_eight10media]

good little horror piece.. vfx could've been a bit tidier but overall nice work :-)

[@jvgbfdobnpddffddff9866]

Wait what? That's Dan? I remember him from those Nerf Battles from ten years ago and now I didn't regonise him :D

[@joeeastley]

Yep that's him - first film he's been in for a few years!

[@HyderAli-mz7uw]

wait? Who's dan?

[@animeshroy5816]

Love from 🇮🇳

[@thuggeetennessee7981]

All that running... and not a drop of sweat? Nice little flick though....

[@RhythmRoMusicTutor]

Awesome! Made me jump a few times 😅

[@joeeastley]

Cheers! That’s what I like to hear 😂

[@yaadheeman]

Excellent👍

[@joaomarreiros4906]

There are actually such places, this is just a movie.

[@Deezeelove]

Umm where

[@matchedimpedance]

But it will be okay because the forest has them now.

[@mercedesgalan1941]

That is freaky

[@raymondlin8728]

Time space, glitch, in the contiuum

[@ssbeautifullife8869]

I am a not understand this short movie

[@JulmaAhil]

K poge nmn niya 👍ingat po kayo sir

[@IRINE7]

What's the title of the track in the chase sequence?

[@fuzzimsmcfuzzface8926]

Yyyup. He's doomed Over and over and over...😱

[@joeeastley]

Looks like it I'm afraid...

[@user-xj2lp3fb5w]

Wow

[@KediriAja-rn2ws]

👍

[@gtyuurwdgki]

Which one is scary another human or another you?

[@hey_gaming6019]

Another u

[@isaidwtfover]

@@hey_gaming6019 who?

[@hey_gaming6019]

@@isaidwtfover 😂 me pagal hu mujhe yaad hi nhi aa raha ki mene kya aur kyu ye comment kiya 😂😂, sorry mere pass jawab nhi! ulta.. me soch me pad gayi 😂

[@jenniferhiggins227]

​@@hey_gaming6019 I'm glad someone noticed that bit another you that the weirder bit and the part of him talking on the radio I don't get

[@Deezeelove]

Another YOU

[@lasantha.rathnayaka]

Wow😮 nice horor movie ❤ Make the long time one movie

[@maryamsamiya803]

Explain the concept behind this short horror drama

[@barbarapineda5730]

This actor, stumbled on..a wrist band, on..a stems, still ..jogging, something's..dreadful is going..to grabs him,

[@حمودي-ن7ك5ل]

😮

[@maryamsamiya803]

Btw it's awesome

[@vrinparadise]

I love to do jogging in the wood but near my home or where I know it well.

[@alessandrasena3862]

sensacional

[@wildlyunrulyadventures3942]

Welp. There ya go. Another reason why running is bad for your health.

[@lionmicehl8081]

Horror ist cool ❤❤❤ mehr lange brauch

[@TheAdeybob]

LSD & jogging don't mix ;)

[@shaownfarhana5110]

😁😁😁

[@christinebrument6851]

What was that all about?????

[@kokocultura5670]

😍😍

[@asmin6591]

Anlamsız bi film olmuşş kafa karıştırıcı

[@satheeshoc4651]

Totaly confustud 🤔

[@caveiragames-mt1dq]

Legal esse filme

[@satheeshoc4651]

Phscolgical

[@املالعبيدي-ث1ث]

😢😢

[@beneditaluizarodrigues6547]

Em.lugares.desertos.so.uma.pessoa.que.nao.acredita.no.mal.o.mal.existi.e.fic.esperando..a.opurtunidade

[@michaelwilbur4320]

He got treed

[@queenmalaikawakingjesus2442]

I dint understand anything 😂😂😂

[@trishazechel8402]

Well, the moral is, don't trust the forest.

[@anupamass9067]

Innovation drama make me 👉 😢😵😭

[@NikitaLove-r4z]

Creo q es el tercer o cuarto corto de terror q veo de un deportista en un bosque q mas excusa para no salir a correr q esta ? Quedo atrapado en un bucle parece

[@user0o09]

i dont get it