“Obscurum”
Credits:
Directed: Isabelle Kiser
Written by: Isabelle Kiser & Carli Cassel
Starring: Isabelle Kiser, Carli Cassel, Erin Olander
Run Time: 00:06:53
Available to stream? Yes, on YouTube.
The word “obscurum” is Latin for dark, or darkness. In the darkness though, Isabelle Kiser’s talent is shining through in the short film “Obscurum”. Kiser manages to be on all sides of this production as she co-stars, co-wrote, co-produced, shot, edited, directed, and even did the visual effects for this creepy short film.
The film starts with some haunting visuals from around a house. It’s not entirely clear where we are, but we find ourselves with two young women, one played by Kiser, and one played by her co-writer and co-star Carli Cassel, who we can quickly deduce are sisters. After some strange and repeated knocking on their front door, the power goes out. What starts as just trying to find flashlights, quickly leads to the realization they may not be alone in their own home.
There’s a lot that’s working in this short, but it also feels like there’s some story that is left out. We never really understand the sister’s relationship, why they’re alone in their parents house, or much of a backstory in general. There are definitely questions left unanswered as well in terms of what they do end up finding in their house.
Kiser proves that she knows how to draw out suspense between carefully crafted shots, and a distinct and intentional editing pace. This short sends chills down your spine and keeps you guessing as to what will happen next till the last frame. While “Obscurum” isn’t perfect, Kiser is showing what she’s capable of from all ends of this production. More than anything, this film does the best thing a short can do— it leaves you wanting more.
4/5 Stars
Isabelle Kiser & Carli Cassel in “Obscurum” (Kiser, 2025)