In Halfway Haunted, writer-director Sam Rudykoff channels the terror of rent hikes and eviction notices into a chillingly clever genre mashup that’s as emotionally resonant as it is entertaining. Officially selected for the Oscar-qualifying 2025 HollyShorts Film Festival, this short film is a haunted house story with a radical twist: the ghost isn’t the problem, it’s the solution.
Set amid the suffocating pressures of gentrification and housing insecurity, Halfway Haunted introduces us to Jess (played with nuance and grit by Hannan Younis), a tenant staring down eviction by a predatory real estate developer. Just when all hope seems lost, Jess discovers her apartment is already occupied by a deadpan, ghostly squatter (Kristian Bruun, in top comedic form). Rather than fear the spirit, she strikes a pact: together, they’ll fight back.
What unfolds is a taut, darkly funny tale of unlikely resistance. Rudykoff isn’t just playing with horror tropes, he’s flipping them inside out. In a world where the true villains wear business casual and wield legal loopholes like weapons, the ghost becomes a stand-in for memory, justice, and defiance. The film doesn’t ask “What if your apartment was haunted?”, it asks, “What if haunting was your last chance to stay?”
The metaphor is potent, and Rudykoff’s direction ensures the message never feels heavy-handed. Instead, the supernatural is seamlessly blended with the socioeconomic, aided by Peter Schnobb’s crisp cinematography that shifts smoothly between dread and absurdity. From flickering lights to emotionally charged confrontations, Schnobb captures both the intimacy of Jess’s personal struggle and the larger, systemic forces at play.
Hannan Younis anchors the film with raw vulnerability and sharp timing, perfectly paired with Bruun’s spectral wit. Sugar Lyn Beard, as the eerily upbeat developer, nails the menace of modern capitalism with a chilling smile and pastel wardrobe. Each character feels precise, lived-in, and essential, a testament to Rudykoff’s sharp scripting and casting instincts.
Producer Mark Delottinville, known for pushing bold ideas into polished execution, helps Halfway Haunted punch well above its runtime. The film never feels like a sketch or a concept in search of expansion, it’s a complete, satisfying, and unsettling story with a point to make and style to spare.
Halfway Haunted reminds us that in today’s housing market, the real horror isn’t the ghost in the walls, it’s the landlord at the door. With humor, heart, and just the right amount of haunting, Rudykoff delivers a sharp critique of displacement and an ode to holding your ground, even if you need a little supernatural help to do it.
A ghost story for our times — and one that lingers long after the credits roll.
Verdict: 4.5/5
Sally Murphy for We Love Short Movies
