Written and directed by Sam Fox, Sandy is grievously forced to break it off with the boy of her dreams in order to avert him from meeting her unusual parents. Starring: Maddie Nichols, Christopher Rydell, William E. Harris, Vincent Stalba and Michele Rossi.

Many people probably imagine that making a film which is pure imagination, not following any rules and having an outrageous time is easy, they would be wrong. When you’ve got no familiar path or foundation to follow, it adds a layer of difficulty in holding onto viewers’ attention and giving them something to invest in. Sam Fox rose to those challenges, creating a superb central character in Sandy (Maddie Nichols) and blending beloved themes of horror with a playful, light-hearted yet twisted sense of humour.

Kicking things off, Fox is going all in on the colour palette, which is something you’ll find in all three of Fox’s shorts to date, and it works particularly well here. The hyper co-ordination of it sets a very specific tone, adding a note of suspicion and some satisfying red flags. Those sorts of details and thoughtful touches are something you find all the way through Fck’n Nuts. Fox adds in some really fun, bizarre details which are well chosen and feed the atmosphere.

The entire film feels like a throwback to iconic pieces of horror cinema from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre to Friday the 13^th, or even a bit more obscure with 1989’s Parents. Yet at the same time you can see the influence of modern horror like 2022’s X. It also does really well to use the audio and score to their fullest extent, which are great choices to help balance the atmosphere between horror and comedy. The sense of humour is excellent and the way that it’s weaved into the film is deceptively clever, playing upon simplicity by making the audience expect something messier.

Maddie Nichols’ Sandy is a big part of why the balance works so well because her character embodies so many different qualities and familiar personas of horror. She never lets you fully know her character, like so many women of horror, she keeps you guessing. Nichols quickly captures the classic sweet girl qualities while letting us know there may be something else at work. Qualities which are then enhanced by the introduction of Vincent Stalba’s Dan, his wholesome boyfriend vibe with a somewhat pushy edge makes for a great pairing with Sandy.

Fck’n Nuts is a great example of creating a short film that’s all about fun and entertainment. It’s bizarre and unique which is so enjoyable to watch. The writing is well done and plays out with a great pacing and reveal. The direction embraces the absurd nature and pushes colour and angles to push the atmosphere further. There’s a lot of thoughtful choices at work to make this weird, eccentric handful of minutes and any horror fan will delight in how it practically feels like a homage to the greats while being completely original.

Verdict: ✯✯✯✯ | 8/10

Screening next at Fantastic Fest from September 22 as part of their ‘Short Fuse’ selection