Black Orchid Challenge (2020) Zoom Horror – (Horror Short Film)!

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

A few weeks ago, we shared writer/director Dominic Grose's short film OTHER as part of the horror short film showcase we have on the JoBlo Horror YouTube channel (check it out and subscribe HERE). Now we take a look at writer/director Kevin Cappiello's horrifying look at the growing live-streaming lifestyle with BLACK ORCHID CHALLENGE! Starring Brooklyn Allan, here is the logline:

A live streamer accidentally invites an entity into her apartment.

And here's what writer/director Kevin Cappiello had to say about the project:

Black Orchid Challenge is really a film about the death of a live streamer's career. The fear of facing the real world after it inevitably ends. In some ways, The Black Orchid represents the looming end. You know it’s coming, but you can’t stop it.

After watching the short film, you might assume that I was inspired by films like Ringu (1998) or Unfriended (2014) but in reality, I was thinking about David Cronenberg's Videodrome (1983) Videodrome explored how the things we consume on television project into our real lives. I wanted to explore how the things we consume on the internet project into our real lives.

The original script dove into these themes much deeper. In earlier versions, we switched to a mobile view and walked around the house. We had actually built our own Videodrome (1983) style “Flesh Monitor” rig where a hand was meant to come through a computer screen. Ultimately, we realized that the film was most effective when confined to the perspective of a computer screen.

Regardless, I hope people walk away with a satisfying scare. The opening line of the short asks “Is this one of those jump scare games?” And the short ends up being ultimately just that. At a bite-sized runtime of 4 minutes, this short was designed to be a shareable scare just in time for Halloween.

So what do you guys think? And what's the scariest thing that ever happened to you online? Either way, sound off below! The short will also be available on Oct. 19th at Blackorchidchallenge.com

CHECK OUT SOME OF OUR PAST HORROR SHORT FILMS BELOW