By: Kelly Kearney
The sixth short in Tribeca Film Festival’s “Midnight Mash-up” series, Terror Night (“Epadunk”), blends classic slasher tropes with a modern, supernatural twist. Coming out of Sweden and written and directed by Jakob Arevärn, the 12-minute film opens with an instantly relatable setup: a young woman modifying her beat-up truck with a killer bass box to impress her crush. Instead of a sweet teen romance, viewers are hurled into a violent, surreal nightmare that plays out like a warning to respect others or pay deadly consequences. With a healthy dose of Zoomer attitude meets Boomer resentment, the film is a familiar peek into generational feuds and ghostly encounters.
Familiar Narratives with a Techy Twist
Josefine (Edith Vallo) is a car-savvy teen who rigs her truck with a massive bass box, hoping the pounding music will catch her crush, Billy’s (Toft Svedjeland) attention at a party. It works and the two quickly pair off and drive away to spend some time alone—only to encounter a mysterious old man who seems disturbed by the noise. What follows is a fast descent into supernatural carnage that feels as brutal as it is unexpected.
Arevärn cleverly plays with genre familiarity in this piece. The “Final Girl,” the creepy loner, the doomed date night—all are present but slightly off-kilter. What starts as a standard teen slasher veers into the realm of ghost story, suggesting that this isn’t just about horny kids making bad decisions. It’s about the lingering hauntings of grief, noise complaints turned violent and the generational divide between young and old. The horror escalates quickly, offering no time for the audience—or the characters—to process what’s happening. One moment it’s romance and the next it’s blood-soaked chaos.
The tension in Terror Night is heightened by a strong technical team. Special effects artists Anders Muamner and Alfred Sahlen provide realistic gore making the horror feel tactile and immediate. The audio design by Nils Viken is particularly effective, as the bass-heavy soundtrack isn’t just background noise—it’s a catalyst for terror and at times feels inescapable. You, like Billy, empathize with Grubber (the annoyed and tired man) as the peaceful night air – meant for sleeping even for the dead – is invaded by chest-pounding bass that rattles your mind and pierces your ears.
Stand Out Performances
Edith Vallo’s role of Josefine is a standout in the film as she is not your average “Final Girl,” but competent, confident and charmingly determined from the start of the film to the end credits. She is a character who knows what she wants and isn’t one to back down from threats, no matter the person or entity hurling them. Her interest in cars gives her dimension, and her performance suggests there’s more to her character than the short runtime allows. Unfortunately, that time constraint means we don’t get to explore her as fully as we might like. There’s a missed opportunity to deepen her motivations that go beyond wanting to impress a boy–her actions in the final minutes hint at untapped emotional depth.
Besides Josefine, the film also introduces a compelling antagonist in the form of a mysterious old man, Gubben Hägglund (Sven Björklund) in a brief but haunting performance. His presence is both tragic and menacing, leaving viewers to question his true nature. Is he simply a grief-stricken widower disturbed by the noise or something more spectral—a vengeful force punishing the living for their indifference? This ambiguity adds emotional depth to what could have been a one-note, jump-scare villain and the film certainly delivers those jumps. The climax unfolds as a sharp, unsettling commentary on apathy—how we treat the elderly, those grieving or people struggling with mental illness. Gubben becomes a stand-in for all of the above, making his role as effective as it is terrifying.
Familiar and fun, but is it Worth the Watch?
Terror Night doesn’t aim to reinvent the horror wheel, but it knows its genre and it knows how to deliver a satisfying punch within a short runtime. Arevärn’s direction is tight and purposeful; he gets to the point while leaning into camp just enough to keep things fun while maintaining a chilling edge. The result is a visceral, stylish short that feels both nostalgic and fresh.
For fans of supernatural slashers, Gen Z horror with a tech twist or girls who build their own cars, Terror Night is a fast and furious ride well worth taking. It’s the kind of short that leaves you hoping for a feature-length version—not because it feels incomplete, but because its characters and concepts are strong enough to support more.