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This 2013 Short From Evil Dead Rise's Director Foreshadows His Horror Breakthrough

Made prior to his first feature, 2019's Hole in the Ground, Ghost Train hints at terrifying things to come from filmmaker Lee Cronin.

A boy wearing a hood next to a "Private, Keep Out" sign
Screenshot: Lee Cronin/Vimeo

If you’ve just discovered writer-director Lee Cronin thanks to Evil Dead Rise—which hit streaming this week, and is still playing in theaters—you should check out his prior feature, The Hole in the Ground, but also this short film he made a decade ago. Who’s in the mood for a spectacularly creepy abandoned carnival?

Brought to our attention by Short of the Week, which notes there are more Cronin shorts posted on the filmmaker’s Vimeo page, Ghost Train follows a pair of estranged brothers who visit the old fairground where their friend went missing 30 years prior—an even that’s haunted them both ever since. Secrets come to light in this eerie tale, which played at over 50 film festivals (picking up awards for visual effects, cinematography, acting, “best film,” and more) when it was first released. In just 15-ish minutes it hints at Cronin’s future career success in bringing nightmares to the big screen, and also showcases his talent for directing young actors.

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Thanks to the video’s privacy settings, you’ll have to click through here to watch it on Cronin’s page. It’s worth it!

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