Running at around five minutes, Gnomes (2022) is a Dutch horror short that won both Best Splatter/Gore and Best Special Effects at the DarkVeins Horror Fest 2022.
Directed by Ruwan Heggelman (Beste Vrienden, Mime), Gnomes centers on murderous garden creatures and features the involvement of Richard Raaphorst, director of the sci-fi horror Frankenstein's Army, who also served as producer, screenwriter, and head of special effects, working alongside Jesse Tamerius and Stephan Vos.
The story follows a young woman who unknowingly wanders into a territory inhabited by a tribe of extremely violent gnomes. Drawn in by strange glowing mushrooms, she soon realizes she has made a fatal mistake by entering their domain.
In just a few minutes, Gnomes delivers a sharp, no-frills story, relying heavily on practical effects that leave a lasting impression.
After the initial lure of the glowing mushrooms, the film quickly plunges into a frenzy of violence and gore, balanced by a sense of twisted wonder brought to life by its tiny antagonists—intricately crafted puppets that give the film a dark fairytale edge.
Armed with handmade weapons and devices, these gnomes capture their victim through clever traps and coordinated tactics, echoing the methods of the inhabitants of Lilliput in Gulliver's Travels.
Unlike Jonathan Swift's novel or its more playful adaptations, the hunt carried out by these creatures turns into a full-blown bloodbath, where the goal is the systematic mutilation of the human body for a very specific purpose.
What begins with an ankle shattered by an arrow escalates into far more brutal acts, as scissors and hooked tools are used to tear flesh and pull out intestines, leading to a gruesome and agonizing death.
Gnomes is a horror short that, despite its brief runtime, manages to both shock and captivate, offering a treat, especially for fans of splatter and gore.
In the cast: Moïse Trustfull and Duncan Meijering.
The screenplay is by Ruwan Heggelman, Jasper ten Hoor and Richard Raaphorst.
