Signals (2023): Extraterrestrial forces beyond the frame

The strength of many horror films lies in the fear of the unknown. The restraint from filmmakers to not show what monstrous creatures or spectral forces antagonize the characters is often an effective way of drawing suspense and dread from the endless possibilities of horrifying appearances and the inability to understand what is terrorizing them. On a low budget, this is an especially useful tactic that allows filmmakers to work within their limited resources. In Alexander Grapes’s eerie sci-fi horror short, Signals, the presence of a dark force is indicated by ominous lights from above and the sound of glitchy radio static. A smoky haze clouds the frame, adding another layer to the unease of being incapable of deciphering what threats lie outside the edges of the frame. The confines of the screen are the only safety that the protagonist - or the viewers - have from the all-consuming darkness that surrounds them. Lying just outside of sight could be anything. Grapes denies any satisfying payoff in which an extraterrestrial force might be revealed through a jump-scare or some kind of cheap gimmick. The protagonist is even denied the ability to call out to the unknown presence. There is no desperate scream into the void of “what are you?” We cannot engage with this darkness through any means other than the sonic landscape and flashes of light provided to us. In Signals, the limitations of the medium’s form are a tool for mining the inherent dread of being unable to interact with whatever lies within the screen.

Check out more of Alexander Grapes’ work here!