Sep 28

HorrOrigins Film Festival Short Film Review: THE VISITOR Continues Tony Morales' Exploration of Tension

By Sarah Musnicky

Directed by Tony Morales, who co-wrote the screenplay with frequent collaborator Fer Zaragoza, THE VISITOR (La visitante) combines supernatural mystery with the natural terror instilled by its home invasion set-up. While the final scare doesn't quite hold up, there is no denying the horror short maintains its edge from beginning to very end.

An influencer (María López Brotón) spends a night alone at home. Smiling, she's reviewing her most recent pictures to ready a social media post. However, her front doorbell sensor keeps notifying her of movement. Any time she checks the footage on her phone, no one is there. That is until she steps outside to investigate herself. This invokes the Ente (Alberto Tierrez) to finally appear.

Something I've come to expect from Morales's work is that it will be a masterclass in tension. As with his previous shorts, Alicia and Abracitos, THE VISITOR (La visitante) dials up the adrenaline and suspense quickly, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats until the shoe drops. One notable difference this time around is the absence of children in the screenplay, and it is a remarkable departure for Morales and Zaragoza.

As the focal point of THE VISITOR (La visitante), López Brotón captures the intensifying anxiety in her facial expressions. The closed shot on her face illimunates her mounting terror, even more so since the visitor is invisible for the majority of the short. As the camera follows up the stairs, with each agonizing step forward to López Brotón's hiding place, you'll want to throw your laptop away (which I almost did because anxiety is dumb).

Music cues accompany the scares, delivering maximum impact. However, there's always the concern that the cues are more of a crutch than not. The scenario the protagonist finds themselves in makes it so the cues aren't entirely necessary, if just due to how terrifying the scenario is itself. A mysterious figure randomly showing up at one's doorstep with a creepy smile? The fear instantly spikes.

That leads us to the design of the titular visitor. Tierrez returns as another spooky creature here. The first reveal of the entity is terrifying as it stares silently with a smile at the motion sensor camera. The lighting and grainy quality of that video adds to the horrifying visage. Where the design loses the scare factor is when exposed to direct light. It's a shame given the shocking moment that came prior to the final scare.

Overall, THE VISITOR (La visitante) is a classic Morales and Zaragoza collaboration, where the tension is so thick that you'll want to break your viewing equipment once it becomes too much. Disclaimer: I did not break anything. I promise. There is still the penchant for leaning too much into the musical cues to do heavy lifting, but that is something that can be worked on over time.

THE VISITOR (La visitante) played as a part of the 2024 HorrOrigins Film Festival.