Here's a film to step up the Halloween spirit!

Steps (2022)
Starring: Mori Christian and Kris Cummins
Director: Russell Miller
Rating: Eight of Ten Stars

A woman (Christian) movies into her just-purchased house, only to discover that the previous owner has left something behind...

"Steps" is a expertly paced and well-filmed haunted house tale. It mostly avoids the jump scares that so many creators of short films (and long-form horror films, too, for that matter) rely so heavily on. What we get here is good old-fashioned tension building through escalating weirdness

The only non-nitpicky complaint I can voice about this film is also a compliment: As the film ended, I wanted to know more. More about the main character, more about the house she purchased, more about the person who sold it to her, more about the previous owner/inhabitants... just more. Generally, stories like this that don't have the slightest hint as to why the supernatural events of the film are happening bother me. I generally feel like there should be some slight hint as to why this curse is upon a particular place or is happening to a particular person. There are some exceptions, though, like what we have here--a film so engaging that it sparks my imagination and causes me to make up the greater story surrounding it. That, in turn, makes me wish that I could know the REAL story beyond the edges of the story we are told.

But why don't you take a few minutes to check out "Steps"? Even if you aren't as impressed with it as I was, I think you'll agree that it's an excellent short film, as well as a great way to boost the Halloween Spirit!