50 Horror Story Prompts for Your Next Short Film
UIFF award winner "Kilter" directed by Bartley Taylor
When you finally have the time to start working on your latest horror short, your brain goes completely blank.
Fear not!
Here are 50 Horror Story Prompts you can actually film in free, easy-to-access locations so budget isn’t your excuse.
Your Living Room
“A family’s TV begins showing security footage from inside their house… filmed tomorrow.”
“A babysitter notices the child she’s watching keeps talking to someone sitting on the couch who isn’t there.”
“A man finds a second remote control in his house that controls his spouse.”
“A couple hears knocking from inside the couch.”
“A board game found in the closet forces players to reveal secrets… or suffer consequences.”
“A smart speaker starts answering questions no one asked.”
“A woman’s shadow begins moving seconds before she does.”
“A livestreamer can see an intruder in her webcam but when she turns around no one is there.”
“A thrift-store painting in the living room changes slightly every night.”
“A child insists the ‘other family’ only comes out after everyone goes to sleep.”
A Bedroom
“A closet door slowly opens a little more every night and scratching is heard inside.”
“A sleep-tracking app records conversations that happen while the user is unconscious.”
“A person wakes up every morning with dirt under their fingernails and no memory of leaving the house.”
“A mirror in the bedroom reflects a version of the room that’s 1 hour in the future, and the person looking into the mirror has died.”
“A college student rents a room where the previous tenants ghosts linger.”
“A nightlight flickers on at 3:07 AM every night, even when unplugged.”
“A voice whispers instructions from under the bed.”
“A phone alarm goes off at random times with messages instead of tones.”
“A diary writes entries predicting the next day’s tragedy.”
“A man keeps waking up in the same nightmare… only to start experiencing the same nightmare in reality.”
A Bathroom
“A person notices their reflection moving out of sync.”
“The shower fog reveals messages of a evil spirit.”
“A medicine cabinet mirror opens to an undead version of the person on the other side.”
“A bathtub slowly fills with dark water and voices are coming from it’s depths”
“A voice hums the same tune every time the sink runs.”
“A razor blade leaves words carved into the mirror.”
“A stranger appears behind the shower curtain—but only in reflections.”
“A clogged drain backs up something alive and hungry.”
“A person hears talking from inside the toilet.”
“The bathroom light reveals bruises that disappear in normal lighting.”
A Car
“A couple in a parked car realizes they’ve been in the same spot for hours… and the outside world hasn’t moved.”
“A rideshare driver picks up a passenger that vanishes in the middle of the ride.”
“A teen receives directions from a GPS voice begging for help”
“A person’s car doors lock automatically every time they try to leave.”
“A road trip playlist begins playing recordings of private conversations.”
“A parked car alarm goes off whenever someone walks behind it… but no one is there.”
“A driver keeps passing the same gas station no matter which road they take.”
“A voice answers back when someone sings alone in the car.”
“A fog rolls in, and something circles the vehicle.”
“A broken rearview mirror shows someone sitting in the backseat.”
A Backyard
“A child builds a fort that something else begins using at night.”
“A hole dug for a garden uncovers bones of a monster”
“A security camera alerts for movement in the yard that no one can see.”
“A swing set begins moving at exactly the same time every evening.”
“A neighbor waves every night from their window—except they died a year ago.”
“A dog refuses to enter the backyard after dark.”
“A shed door is found open every morning, though it’s locked every night.”
“A tree in the yard is covered in blood and the family pets keep going missing.”
“A buried time capsule contains photographs from next week of the owners tragic death.”
“A child insists someone else is buried ‘under the red flowers.’”
Any of these ideas would be total bangers and I could easily see several of these making into UIFF.
So no more excuses.
Go make something creepy.
