Ah, David F. Sandberg and Lota Losten, you two have done it again. In Coffer, this adorable power couple of short horror have a less impactful piece than the excellent Lights Out, but the two have proved they’re more than adept at jump scares.
The premise is very simple; Losten’s character is doing something that you’re probably doing right now: sitting alone at home and reading a book. Then, the coffer (trunk) in the corner starts wobbling and making some weird sounds.
The beauty of this and the other Sandberg/Losten shorts is that it begins with a completely normal, relatable scenario, mutates into something with hints of uncertainty, and finally pulls you into its WTF final moments. Dialogue is nil (maybe because the floorboards are distractingly loud); instead we rely on Losten’s varied facial expressions.
It’s less than two minutes, and the final shot could have been omitted, but it’s a cute, taught little piece that will make you want to invest in open-shelf units rather than chests.
An Englishwoman in Salem 