Sci-Fi Short Film Spotlight: MONSTERS - A Dystopian Fairy Tale

MONSTERS is a gripping sci-fi short that tells the story of Jenn, a bright, inquisitive 9-year old girl cloistered in an underground bunker with her parents and older brother.

Like a princess in an ivory tower from a Grimm Brothers fairy tale, Jenn (Caitlin Carmichael) has spent her entire life in her family's bunker, forbidden to venture outside due to the decimated world being ravaged by horrifying, mysterious monsters.

However, Jenn's curiosity gets the better of her. 

She defies her parents, and manages to escape.

What she discovers outside the bunker changes her life forever.

Written, produced, and directed by filmmaking team Steve Desmond and Michael Sherman, MONSTERS is dark, and deeply unsettling.

The most valuable player in this eerie, claustrophobic short  is young Caitlin Carmichael, who portrays Jenn with precocious charm. 

When you first meet her, you instantly become invested in  her well-being as she embarks on an odyssey to discover the truth about her world - and the monsters that inhabit it.

I will say the plot twist at the end of the film is completely unexpected, but it doesn't feel trite  or arbitrary.

In fact, the shocking reveal may leave you feeling more disturbed at the film's conclusion than you did at its beginning.

Watch MONSTERS in its entirety here...

For more information about the production of this small sci-fi gem, visit the official web site Monsters-ShortFilm.com.

---

Get your digital copy of our ebook 200 Best Online Sci-Fi Short Films. Enjoy over 30 hours of outstanding science fiction and genre web shorts on any screen of your choice.

Your support enables the site to operate independently and remain AD-FREE.

Interrogation The Sci-Fi Web Series - A Daring, Diverse & Gritty Vision Of Dystopia

Interrogation is an edgy, new, dystopian sci-fi web series set in the year 2098.

In the beginning, you are introduced to an elite team of rebel soldiers fighting their totalitarian government in the best way they know how, gathering intelligence through unorthodox  - and often deadly - interrogations.

These interrogators have been hardened to a razor's edge by life under an oppressive regime.  

They express their cynicism through black humor, salty language, immutable dedication to their cause, and a zest for violence.

Created by screenwriter Britain Valenti, THANK GOD Interrogation isn't your typical dystopian sci-fi tale.

One of the major hallmarks of this project is its diversity both onscreen and off - which was by design.

The series was created by a woman, and features a core cadre of characters who are women.  

Also noteworthy: there are key cast members who are actors with disabilities portraying characters with disabilities - unfortunately something still a rarity in both independent and mainstream media.

The series pacing also helps provide an interesting narrative flow.  

While you are given a preliminary overview of this world, more specific details about the exact nature of its society, technology, and ruling body are sparingly parceled out throughout subsequent episodes. This device helps to build intrigue and engagement with the plot.

In fact, a surprising secret held by one of the key characters isn't revealed until the fourth episode!

Check out the official series trailer here ...

To view full episodes, visit the project's YouTube Channel at Interrogation.

I highly recommend Interrogation not only for its defiance of convention, but also because of the compelling world it promises to reveal.

---

Help Keep The 7th Matrix Independent and Ad-Free!

Dynamo The Web Series - A Dazzling Sci-Fi Phantasmagoria

Outside The Lines

Dynamo is a sci-fi web series that defies description or categorization.

Part space opera, part cyberpunk romp, and part dystopian ode, this ambitious independent project takes stylistic cues from those sub-genres to create an aesthetic all its own.

The result is one of the most original, visually stunning, and challenging science fiction web series I've ever seen.

A Sci-Fi Phantasmagoria

Created by Ian Hubert and Scott Hampson for Karma Pirates productions, Dynamo tells the story of the mysterious Axle Rubix - a man (?) who arrives on Earth near the walled exterior of a massive dystopian metropolis called Shade.

The mystery of Axle deepens after he is picked up by an unsuspecting young couple who transport him to the city.

From there, the story gets far more strangely complicated.

Let me be frank,  Dynamo can be a challenging watch.  The narrative often deviates from most standard storytelling conventions.

Instead, the series has an almost lyrical quality - with frequent  flights of fancy along the way.

Think of its sensibility as a cross between Blade Runner and Brazil.

The good news?  Its unique narrative and visual style work extremely well together in producing a work that is intriguingly cool.

In fact,  while the cast performances are impeccable, it's the cinematography and visual effects that are main attractions.

With epic deep space battles, richly textured sets (watch for an odd cardboard fort!), and a fully 3D-rendered futuristic metropolis, you will doubt that millions of dollars weren't spent on this production.

Down The Wormhole

Watch the complete first episode below to experience a look inside the bizarre world of Dynamo ...

I can't recommend Dynamo highly enough.  

With its original premise, dynamic cast performances, cool soundtrack, and award-worthy visuals, this series pushes the envelope as to what a sci-fi web series can be.

To watch more, visit its channel on YouTube: Karma Pirates.

---

Help Keep The 7th Matrix Independent and Ad-Free!