Directed by Paul Hibbard
Written by Paul Hibbard
Starring:
- Jackie Kelly as Jennifer
- Clayton Bury as Jeff
- Richard L. Ulrich as Intruder 2
- Carlie Lawrence as Intruder 3
Rating: 
At first glance, Some Visitors appears to be another entry in the well-worn home invasion subgenre—a genre that has been explored endlessly, often yielding diminishing creative returns. But Paul Hibbard’s short film swiftly dismantles expectations, transforming what could have been conventional horror into an unrelenting and psychologically incisive descent into human malice.
From its opening moments, Some Visitors builds tension with agonizing patience. Hibbard does not rush toward violence; instead, he lets dread simmer through conversation, ensuring that unease lingers before giving way to chaos. Jennifer (Jackie Kelly), visibly unsettled from the start, faces Jeff (Clayton Bury), whose manipulative charm and eerie politeness mask something insidious. Their initial exchange—a strained interaction loaded with unspoken menace—mirrors the audience’s own distrust, forcing the viewer into a state of uneasy anticipation.
Yet what sets Some Visitors apart from conventional horror films is its rejection of moral absolutes. It refuses to classify its characters within traditional categories of hero and villain; instead, it allows their interactions to unfold with unsettling ambiguity. Jennifer, initially framed as a victim, gradually becomes something far more complex, her responses laced with desperation, misjudgment, and concealed intent. Jeff, with his calculated presence, engages in a psychological game where power shifts not through physical dominance but through manipulation.
When violence finally erupts, it does so without restraint. The arrival of additional intruders shatters any illusion of control, turning Jennifer’s home into a battleground of primal brutality. Hibbard’s direction avoids excessive stylization—there are no exaggerated flourishes, no cinematic romanticism to soften the horror. The violence is presented as stark, immediate, and unrelenting.
By the film’s brutal conclusion, any lingering notions of justice, resolution, or redemption have been stripped away. Some Visitors offers no easy explanations, no psychological rationalizations for its cruelty. It is a film about the fragility of trust, the failure of moral certainty, and the unnerving possibility that violence does not always require a reason.
Lean yet devastatingly impactful, Some Visitors is as much a philosophical exercise as it is a horror film. It lingers long after its brief runtime, leaving behind an unsettling afterimage that demands contemplation.
*You can see this film virtually or in person at Panic Fest 2022.
