'Le Reflet (The Reflection)' Review: Unsettling Terror | Toronto After Dark 2021

It's always been a fear of mine to be alone in a room and look in the mirror, only to see something move in your peripheral. Director Louis-David Jutras clearly has a similar mindset.

In his 6-minute short film, Jutras imagines a young woman, Anaïs (Laurence Anaïs Belleville) texting with her boyfriend only to discover she's not alone in her apartment as she assumed. As she stares into mirrors and her phone, a supernatural demon/presence is among her.

The beauty of short films is the firm gut punch they can deliver. In less than 10 minutes, Jutras terrifies and will have you feeling uneasy (especially if you're alone!). Part of that impact is the simplicity of the set and script. The apartment is simply dressed and the dialogue is lean, nothing in the short attempts to be more than it should be. The editing is sharp, and given an assumed small budget, Jutras gets the most out of dime with well done special effects.

Based off this short, I'd love to see more from Jutras. Whether it's a different short taking on a different horror angle, or a full feature narrative.

The Toronto After Dark Film Festival runs online from October 13 to 17.