‘Bad Chemistry’ (Dir. Michael Rognlie & EE Tallent) is a horror short that drags you into a startling nightmare. From its opening sweep of cinematic drone footage, you know you’re in for something visually striking. The production quality here is leagues above the usual short film fare, with Rognlie’s cinematography crafting an atmosphere that feels polished, deliberate, and deeply unnerving.
Sara (Alex Naumann) is already struggling when we meet her, and her only real anchor is Tommy (Jordan Swann), a friend who wants to be more than that. Her actual boyfriend, Jonathan (Michael Munoz), is aggressive and domineering. But before we can fully unpack their broken relationship, Jonathan is brutally, shockingly murdered by a masked figure. The violence is abrupt, visceral, and entirely without mercy.
Sara survives her own attack and wakes in the hospital to an unexpected visitor – Jonathan’s mother (Michelle Stahl), who insists on bringing Sara into her home to take care of her. But kindness is a mask, and Jonathan’s father (Bill Read Jr.) sees through it.
The horror in ‘Bad Chemistry’ isn’t just in the bloodshed – it’s in the quiet, creeping dread that follows Sara as she recovers. Unsettling sound design tightens the screws, each beat engineered to keep the audience on edge. The tension never lets up, and the house itself feels more like a prison than a refuge. Sara knows something is off. The audience does too. But we learn the truth just before she does – and it’s darker than expected. Jonathan’s mother isn’t just grieving – she’s something else entirely.
With strong performances, thrilling suspense, and a finale that sticks, ‘Bad Chemistry’ is proof that short films can deliver dark and striking nightmares.
