Film of the Day: "Man on a Train" — What Happens When You Eavesdrop on Strangers' Conversations

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This 2021 short film, running just 4 minutes, has no jump scares or flashy special effects. Just mounting dread. And it works one hundred percent.

Director and screenwriter Jack Shanks takes an ordinary situation — an evening ride in an empty train car — and transforms it into an unsettling episode that many can relate to.

What the film is about

A young woman (Tameki Morimer) boards a train, half-listening to fellow passengers' conversations until she suddenly discovers everyone has vanished. A lone man (Attila Akinci) appears in the car, sitting and staring at the protagonist. Then the creepy stranger begins slowly approaching her.

What critics and viewers think

On IMDb, the film earned a 6.2 rating based on over 380 votes — a pretty solid result for a short horror film.
A girl with a burgundy scarf sits in a train car while a man in a white t-shirt walks between the seats nearby
Frame from the film "Man on Train"
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One commenter going by @TheStrangr on the YouTube channel "MINI-NIGHTMARES OFFICIAL", where the film was posted, nailed the key point:
What I love most about this film is that it has no jump scares. Nothing pops out of nowhere, no sudden loud sounds. It's pure atmosphere, and you don't see that much these days.
YouTube user @TheStrangr
The film doesn't have supernatural elements in the traditional sense, but the otherworldly feeling hits immediately. "Man on Train" is a solid short horror with an excellent final scene. I'd recommend it to all genre fans.

Earlier on zoomboola.com, we covered the film "Ignore It" — try not to notice the monster standing behind you.